


Once Bitten

by ArcticWolvesInLove



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Canon-Typical Violence, College Student Stiles, Dead Vernon Boyd & Erica Reyes, I'll change the rating, Minor Original Character(s), POV Alternating, POV Derek, POV Stiles, Panic Attacks, RIP Allison Argent, Scott is an Alpha, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Smut may be a thing in the future, Sorry again, Sorry guys, The pack stayed in beacon, Wolf Stiles, because I loved them too, crazy stuff happens, i love her though, more tags to be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-02-20 16:42:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13150734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcticWolvesInLove/pseuds/ArcticWolvesInLove
Summary: Stiles goes missing while off at school and Derek takes it upon himself to find him but what he discovers ends up changing everything for them.(Hiatus for a rewrite, sorry lovelies)





	1. Bleeding Out

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to make this a series but am comfortable with it being a one-shot or single fic. Input, yes?

Stiles paces, he curses, he slams his hand into the wall nearest his dorm room door and then drops down, starts chewing the pad of his thumb.

There's blood dripping down his neck, seeping into the collar of his shirt and his shoes have small specks that would match the blood on his bat. He wonders idly just how it came down to this.

After taking a deep breath he rises back up and sneaks out to the dorm showers. It's 4 in the morning and Stiles learned his first year at University that hardly anyone ever came in at this time. There was the dedicated early risers who came in at 5 and the new students who thought they'd avoid lines at midnight and 2 but 4 was always clear.

He showers quickly though, scrubs hard at his neck and shoulder and when he finishes he stands before the fogged up mirrors. He leans over the sink, rinses his mouth and stares down at the running water.

He knows he doesn't need to panic, not really because this isn't a big deal. He isn't possessed by a demonic fox and there's no hunters looking to send a message to his friend. No one he knows is in any danger, they're all safe, he'd texted everyone hours ago to be sure.

He finally looks up, the skin at his collar and shoulder is an angry red but it isn't bleeding anymore. He sighs and drags himself back to his room where he collapses and sleeps through his morning class.

 

Derek isn't panicking, he's not because it's Stiles and the kid still does weird shit. Maybe though, Derek grew a little concerned when Scott called him in the middle of the night demanding to know the last he'd heard from him.

This was the night before and Derek realized it had been almost a week. It's not concerning really because Derek doesn't text but at least once every few days Stiles will send him something. What is concerning though is that Scott hasn't heard from him in five days and the sheriff, John, hasn't heard from him in about the same.

So Derek may have paced around the rest of the night and he may have decided to take it upon himself to drive to the University. Scott can't leave, there were unknown betas that no one could locate yet and John has a case involving a body out in the Preserve.

The pack is tense though, Scott had told him and so Derek texted him as he got into his car to inform him he was going. Scott thanked him and then John called and Derek could hear his worry so he promised the man he'd locate his son.

It's nearly a three and a half hour drive but Derek manages it in two, not caring to break a few traffic laws. He calls Stiles several times as he drives but each time it continues to ring and ring, as he makes it into the city limit, the final call goes directly to voicemail.

He curses before tossing his phone to the passenger seat and takes a few corners sharply. He parks in the University space and jogs to the familiar building.

Stiles first day was just he and John but a week later the pack came up to visit at Derek's beckoning because Stiles confessed once how he didn't feel like pack. So they came and the wolves left their scent all over his room, they'd done it this year as well when he'd transfered and was put in a single.

Derek knows where to go but even as he's moving, he's sniffing and Stiles scent, a lemon balm wash that Lydia insisted he use with a spiced undertone that was strictly Stiles, has faded. Or maybe it's different, maybe Stiles switched body wash without Lydia close enough to hackle him, maybe it's just changed with the environment.

Derek pushes through the throngs of other students once he reaches his floor, there's a heavy scent of sex and cum that makes Derek's nose wrinkle but the closer he gets to Stiles room, the more he can smell the faintest hint of blood.

He tells himself not to worry, it's college, the blood could be anyone's. Accept, Derek knows Stiles blood almost intimately, they've shared more then any two people should have. He takes a calming breath and then it hits him when he flings the door open. Another werewolf has been here, not pack, not familiar. The smell of his blood completely covers Stiles smell.

  
And then Derek sees Stiles bat, leaning near the window to the left of the door and it's covered in blood.

 

Derek agonizes over calling Scott, he doesn't know anything yet, whatever issue transpired Stiles had hit the werewolf enough to draw a decent amount of blood. Stiles blood is still a faint scent and Derek hopes that means it was a lot less, perhaps the wolf only got a nick in.

Derek searches the floor and Stiles blood is stronger in the bathroom but it's still to hard to gage the amount around all the other smells.

He spends three hours pestering and possibly frightening the college students but most hardly know anything about Stiles. One guy called him the weird kid and Derek practically snarled at him. This is his pack and he is missing! Derek officially accepts it when he happens upon one of Stiles professors and she tells him Stiles hasn't attended class in 3 days.

He tries to call Stiles again but it still goes immediately to voicemail, Derek wants to roar his frustration. He's sitting in his car now, hands gripping his steering wheel a bit to tightly. He has to call Scott at least, John doesn't need to know until he finds something. _Until he finds Stiles_ , he thinks.

Scott panics, he says a slew of curses and starts talking about coming up there immediately, bringing the pack, but when he mentions John, Derek shuts him down.

"I can handle this, I'll find him."

"Derek," Scott sighs. "If he-"

"I'll find him Scott, just.... don't worry anyone else yet."

 

It takes a few hours but Derek is able to get in contact with an alpha in the area, he'd known Laura fairly well back in the day and had been introduced to Derek before he and his sister headed off to New York. The alpha agrees to meet with him at a restaurant near to the University campus.

"Hello Derek, pleasant to meet you again. I'm sorry it's under this circumstance."

"Thank you for meeting with me Gregory," Derek shakes his hand.

Gregory Melbourne is only a few years older then what Laura would be, he's dressed casual in jeans and a loose t-shirt. His hair is a pale color but his skin is tanned and his eyes dark. He smiles easily and Derek has never felt a threat from him.

"Tell me about this boy of yours," Gregory starts as they sit. Derek feels his face burn at the implication the alpha has made but he doesn't correct him.

"He's young, human, he was in the area for school. I checked around his dorm, I could smell...a fellow but he has no acquaintances in the area."

"You said you'd gone to his room?" Gregory leans in closer, "Blood, yes?"

"Yeah, a bat he always keeps, it was-" Derek inhales slowly, "The scent was stronger then Stiles."

Gregory nods along as he pulls his phone out and begins to text, "I'd like to send a couple trusted people. Would you be comfortable with that?"

"Yeah, yes, should we meet them-"

"Not necessary," Gregory smiles. "I'd like to head out to another pack, they're local, small, see if they've had any complications."

"Thank you for your help, this means so much."

"Derek, your sister was a good friend, I still mourn her loss and I'd do anything for her family."

Gregory offers to put Derek up with a beta he has in the city but Derek declines and opts to stay in a hotel near the campus.

Derek paces his room for a full hour before he calls Scott and updates him, the alpha appreciates it but is still antsy to get there himself. Derek understands, the need to protect your pack is strong as it is and Stiles is Scott's brother, blood hardly matters. But Scott is needed there and Derek can afford to stay as long as necessary.

Nine hours pass, Gregory told Derek to rest, that he was having betas search the city for either Stiles or the wolf whose blood was on the bat but Derek couldn't even sit down for more then five minutes. He wonders, vaguely, if this restlessness is how Stiles feels when he's having a particularly rough day.

At midnight, Derek gives up the fight and heads out to the diner Stiles had taken the pack to the last few times they visited. It had free Wi-Fi and was open all night, and it turned out to be a good lead.

"He was in here last night, Stiles is my favorite late night."

The waitress is young but not Stiles age, she has brown eyes and her hair is tied up neatly, she smells innocent enough.

"Did he seem," Derek breathes, "Was he okay?"

"No more fidgety then usual," she contemplates. "He did seem tense though."

"How so?" Derek feels his claws lengthen beneath the table.

"Honestly?" she huffs. "He usually drinks coffee like its air, typing away on some paper and talking about baseball or comics," she smiles. "But he was still, or stiller then usual."

Derek can see her fondness, Stiles can talk someone's ear off but doesn't need their immediate attention so she probably enjoys his rabbles on slower nights. He's about to ask if Stiles mentioned meeting anyone or where he might be heading but she speaks again.

"You're Daren, right?"

"Derek-"

"Right! Right, you come in with him and all the others, you don't go to the University though, do you?"

"No," Derek shakes his head, he doesn't even remember this girl the last time he and the pack visited. "We're friends from back home."

"I'm sorry I don't know anything, I hope you find him."

_Me too_ , Derek thinks as she walks away. He's settled a little in knowing that Stiles was at least seen in the last 24 hours but the entire thing is far more suspicious then he likes.

As he leaves the diner he catches a whiff of spice and he bolts in the direction of it. The diner is pressed towards the outskirts of the city, near an empty lot and across from several unfinished buildings. The scent leads him further back and when Derek stumbles upon a streak of blood, he can feel his heart stutter.

The smell isn't from the wolf Gregory's pack is looking for and Derek is almost terrified as he slows down. His senses are suddenly over loaded by sweet, bitter flower and Derek knows it's Wolfsbane.

His thoughts lead to hunters but he can't piece together why they'd have use for wolfsbane on a human, let alone on Stiles whose pack is hours away. His boot crunches and that's the first moment he sees it all, the dried up petals scattered around.

The scent makes his head hurt and it's hard to smell anything over it, but he continues to follow the awful plant until he spots it. A dark figure is hunched in a back corner, deep inside one if the buildings and Derek can't force his ears to listen for a heart beat.

Half of him hopes it's Stiles but the other half is frightened he isn't alive, that Derek is to late, that he's lost one more person.

"Go away."

Derek feels air fill his lungs at the familiar tone and he nearly wants to throw himself at the younger male.

"I'll be gone in the morning, please," he rasps. "Just let me sleep here."

That's when Derek sees it, there is not only wolfsbane covering the floor but it's surrounding the figure, ropes with the plant tied to it are strung up around him.

"Stiles," Derek tentatively calls out.

He sees the younger man tense, faintly hears the uptick of his heart now that he's near enough but the wolfsbane is really drowning his senses.

"Stiles," he calls again. "Please."

"Go away," he grits but his voice is different, like he's talking around a mouthful.

"What's-"

"I messed up," Stiles whines. Derek feels something pull at his heart from the noise.

"What happened, Stiles," Derek is practically next to him, just outside the ropes.

"Something really bad happened."

Derek sees as Stiles turns, his profile coming into view and then Stiles face turns upwards, his eyes blinking open slowly. The older male inhales sharply when their eyes meet, Stiles eyes glow, beta yellow.

 

He had cornered him as he left Staples, Stiles was the last person in the parking lot and for some ridiculous reason, he'd parked a good distance away. The werewolf pinned him against the jeep, arms bracketing him just inside the drivers seat. Stiles remembers seeing the handle of his bat sticking up towards the seat but he didn't immediately reach for it.

"Whose pack do you belong to," the werewolf sneered.

"What's it to you, fluffy?"

A rough, clawed hand grips the back of his neck and whirls him around. The wolf is about his height, broader in the shoulders with brown hair and his eyes are glowing their descriptive red. _An alpha._ Stiles wants to make a snark comment but the alpha doesn't appear pleased, especially not when he slams Stiles back enough his head hits the roof before he drops down unceremoniously, into the drivers seat.

"Don't toy with me," the alpha growls. "Where is your pack?"

"Not here, clearly," Stiles rubs the back of his head. The werewolf snarls, eyes flash brighter and he's pressing in on him, teeth elongated.

"I will rip out your throat and leave a trail for them to find," he snaps.

Stiles tries, he really does, to not burst up laughing because the threat reminds him too much of another werewolf he's close to but the snickers escape. The alpha draws back, maybe in shock and Stiles takes the opportunity and kicks out. The alpha is thrown off enough that he stumbles and Stiles has a moment to reach his bat and swing, full force.

A resounding crack rings out and the alpha drops down, Stiles isn't an idiot though and knows he'll be back on his feet soon and Stiles rushes to take off. A part of him longs to call Derek, call Scott and get the pack here but the drive is long and Stiles can't distract the wolf until then. 

He's driving through the city, contemplating heading to his dorm but he can't risk that the alpha won't show up and hurt others. So Stiles heads for the next city over, there's a housing development that's fairly secluded.

If nothing else, Stiles can figure out how to trap him with mountain ash and then call the pack in.

 

"What happened," Derek is growling but he doesn't mean to. Stiles heart is racing so fast it sounds as though it'll burst. Derek uses his claws to cut down the rope, ignoring the sting it causes.

"No Derek, don't," Stiles flinches and turns into the wall more.

"Who did this?"

Derek wants to rip their throat out, bury them in wolfsbane.

"Derek, please," Stiles cries out. The older werewolf smells the blood and barely catches as the other starts digging his claws into his thigh.

He doesn't think much as he breaks through and drops down beside Stiles, pulling his hands away before then can inflict more self damage.

"What happened?"

Tears spill down Stiles face as a howl erupts through the air, the boy whimpers. "I'm so sorry, Derek."

He feels the blunt pressure of claws in his abdomen and Stiles is nearly bawling, Derek can see his pack mates claws embedded in him when he glances down.

"I'm so sorry," Stiles pleads.

  
Before heading off for school Deaton gave Stiles a box of mountain ash and a container of dried up wolfsbane. The old emissary explained that at times rogues may appear and because Stiles so clearly smells of his pack, they would be inclined to attack. He'd accepted the gifts but in two years, they'd never left his jeep.

A blessing really, since he needed both now. The wolfsbane to mask his scent inside the houses while he made a plan for the mountain ash.

If the alpha really wants him, Stiles isn't dumb enough to think he can't be found, the flowers just make it a little more difficult. With a little clever maneuvering he's able to get some of the plant around his bat with duct tape and he waits.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," the alpha taunts. Stiles wishes, very rarely that he'd never been involved in this world, part of him drifts back to thoughts of Allison and the other people he'd decimated when he was possessed.

A renewed sense of determination fills him, a sense of anger that this alpha thinks for one minute that he's nothing more then a weak human that can be picked on.

"I smell your hatred," the wolf inhales. Stiles swings the bat up over his shoulder and counts the Weres steps until he walks through the door and Stiles swings.

The alpha easily grabs the bat but hisses at the wolfsbane contact and releases and Stiles swings again. This time he lands a hit in the guys ribs and he snarls and slashes out but Stiles huffs a handful of ground wolfsbane and the alpha chokes on his breath.

Stiles darts around him and lands a hit to the back of his head, the wolfsbane must have made him woozy because he goes down quickly. Stiles is already digging in his pocket, sifting up a handful out mountain ash and starts to circle the downed wolf.

He doesn't make even a half circle when the alpha lungs, pine Stiles to his back and latches tightly to the junction between Stiles neck and shoulder. He figures he should scream but the sound is trapped in his throat, his eyes bulging. The alpha isn't ripping him apart, Stiles knows with no doubt that this alpha has taken claim to him and turned him.

"You'll find me once you need me," he sneers down as he pulls away from him.

The alpha is standing and Stiles feels a bitter, sick desire to completely destroy him and before he can process that he's on his feet and the bat is coming down in crushing blows, over and over.

Blood splatters against his shoes and soaks into the bat, Stiles has no idea how many times he hit the werewolf but he isn't moving now. His brain feels fried and he starts stumbling around and out of the vacant home. He knows what a panic attack feels like even in the earliest stage but he can't seem to calm himself until he's gripping his steering wheel and crys out. He punches the dashboard and shouts again, he's angry, he's hurt, and he's still trembling from fear.

On impulse he texts the pack, checks in, it isn't so late that they'd be worried and he almost considers calling Scott and telling him what happened but the panic rushes up his throat again. What if he doesn't survive The Bite? What if Scott rejects him because another alpha had bit him? What if his dad doesn't want anything to do with him, now that he'll become something else?

He doesn't know how he manages to drive back to campus, or how he got his bat to his room without anyone seeing but he walks in and curses after dropping his bat next to the window.

 

Derek's head is spinning, the wolfsbane makes him weak so the wound Stiles inflicted isn't healing as fast as it should, he isn't sure why this happened though. Stiles cried before ripping his claws out and begged Derek to stay away, to kill him, to do anything to stop him or leave him and then he'd retreated to the corner.

The new wolf is shivering, he pulled the wolfsbane ropes around himself and hissed from the pain but made no move to drop them. Derek has barely pushed himself up and is watching him, trying to clear his senses enough and make his mouth work.

Stiles idly begins rocking back and forth, eyes glowing every now and then, claws retracting and then digging into his upper arms. Derek can faintly smell Stiles blood over his own but he isn't worried, the boy isn't trying to do any worse to himself yet.

"Sti-Stiles, what...what happened," he manages to stutter out, drops of blood slipping from his mouth. Derek knows that he must have punctured his lung but he can still breathe so it can't be to bad and his healing is still faster then a humans.

"An alpha," Stiles shakes his head, more tears fall.

"How...How did you get b-bit?"

"He just," Stiles sniffles. "Derek leave, please. God please, leave."

"Not...Not without you," he manages and inhales sharply. The pain is subsiding slowly but his head can't clear with all the wolfsbane around them. "We...We need t-to get out of here."

"I can't," Stiles growls, causing his eyes to flash.

"I'm not," Derek huffs, pushing up to his knees and then his feet. He stumbles a little. "You're pack-"

"Not anymore," Stiles grits, his claws digging deeper into himself. "Not yours."

Derek's heart has a strange ache to it at the words, he remembers when he first knew the kid, when he was nothing more then a leech that was attached to Scott. Stiles had taught the kid control though, found out what am anchor was, managed, at 16 to subdue a newly bitten Were on his first full moon and lived to brag about it. Derek remembers when he couldn't stand him but would have accepted him if it had meant Scott would be in his pack.

And then they'd all eventually made a pack of each other, a weird pack that somehow worked and hearing Stiles say he wasn't a part of that anymore.... Derek felt the sting of the truth.

"I won't l-leave you here," he pushes, the blood flow has slowed significantly.

"Derek," Stiles eyes are begging him when he looks up. "Please, leave before I....before I kill you."

He looks defeated in a way he hasn't for a long time, in the way he had after escaping the Nogitsune. Derek wants to howl for his former pack mate, wants to claw apart whatever pack thinks it'll get some kind of claim over this boy.

He chuckles though and says, "You think you can kill me?"

Stiles isn't crying now but the tear stains still cover his face and shine in the faint light of the moon. "I-"

"You forgetting I was born to this," Derek smirks and moves closer to him again. He's clutching his stomach but doesn't feel the blood flowing out anymore, his shirt is soaked though.

"You don't-"

Derek rips the ropes away from him and pulls him up, flashing his blue beta eyes and growling slightly. Stiles eyes flash in challenge and if Derek didn't know it was out of some desire to protect whatever pack had changed him, he'd be proud.

"I'm not leaving you here," he snaps at Stiles, teeth elongating.

"Derek Hale."

The voice is sultry, deep and echoes in the small space, he doesn't recognize it however and spins quickly, his body a shield between the stranger and Stiles.

"I thought I smelt a Hale on the boy but my, I'd have never imagined it to be true."

With a shallow in take of breath Derek knows this is the alpha that bit Stiles, he's an older man with a scar across the left side of his neck. He's smiling as he approaches, walks as though the wolfsbane does no harm to him.

Derek snarl again, hunches forward with claws extended, fangs threatening and determined that this alpha won't go near Stiles.

"Come now," the man smiles. "That's my new beta you have there."

"He's mine," Derek growls, not considering that really, Stiles would be Scott's.

"Your packs scent was so light, I thought the boy had been abandoned," he glances down, nudges some dried petals away then looks up. "A mistake, I suppose."

"Leave," Derek states. "He's not yours."

"I turned him, why didn't you," he mocks, knowing well that Derek is no alpha. "Humans don't make good pack members, practically useless."

Derek hears the faint whimper from Stiles, it comes from the back of his throat and he likely didn't intend to make the noise. No matter what the alpha thinks, Stiles won't be leaving with him if Derek is living.

 

Stiles wakes feeling groggy, over heated and the room spins into view, the sun is bright and he knows he's missed classes. He just manages to drag himself from bed and back to the showers, the water is cool and makes him feel like he isn't suffocating.

After an hour, Stiles feels great, like he's taken his medication on time and had a few cups of coffee. He feels like he's slept for a week.

He finishes up his last classes with a smile and a good amount of notes that he was able to focus clear enough for and he wants to call Scott, wants to tell him what's happened now. He intends to after talking to his professors for the classes he missed, he finds a couple classmates who loan him notes and then heads to his room.

He's just sent Scott a message saying the pack needs to visit and told his dad he might drop by over the weekend when he walks through his door.

"Hey there kid."

His phone falls and he's frozen, the alpha is alive and sitting on his bed, he's grinning. Stiles doesn't know what to do, what to say and he's thinking of making a run for it.

"Uh uh uh," the alpha smirks and his eyes flash. "We need to have a chat."

 

Derek growls as he bites into the alphas side and rips, blood fills his mouth and the werewolf beneath him howls before digging his claws into Derek's side.

It's a wrestling match of claws and teeth, blood staining the ground around them as they fight. Derek can't check on Stiles right now but he knows the boy has to be there, battling himself to not hurt Derek but also longing to protect his alpha.

It's not until the rope is around his throat that he realizes that urge would be strongest for a newly bitten. Derek claws at the rope but it's searing into his flesh.

The alpha cackles when Derek's knees get kicked out from behind, he falls, rope pulling tighter.

"So obedient," the alpha sneers. "I wonder why you didn't turn him when you were an alpha."

Derek wants to rip his throat out but is struggling enough to breathe.

"I should have him do it," he observes. "Nothing breaks them like killing someone they love so soon after The Bite."

"Now," it's barely a faint whisper, almost a trick of the wind but Derek knows the moment of reality when the alpha stands above him and the ropes loosen.

He doesn't hesitate to rise and bury his claws in the werewolf's throat, then brings his other hand up to grip the back of his neck before digging deeper and then slashing out.

It's instant, the rush of power and Derek's head spins a little and his neck immediately stops hurting. The rope has fallen away and all of Derek's senses are stronger, he remembers this well. He turns to Stiles who's standing back, hand gripping his opposite arm and his head bowed.

Derek is an alpha again and Stiles is a wolf.


	2. After Shock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess it's happening everyone! I wrote a chapter 2! Here goes nothing!

Wound up. That's the term Stiles is looking for, like any minute he'll spring into action and start racing around in circles. Every nerve in his body feels on fire, ADHD has nothing on turning into a werewolf.

Something in the back of his mind reminds him of how Scott had acted after being bitten, he'd laugh if he wasn't going out of his mind.

"Pull over," he snaps, his seatbelt already off.

"Stiles," Derek sighs. "You're fine-"

"You have no fucking idea how I feel Derek," he growls and wow, so that's why Derek does it so much, growling is satisfying.

"I remember how it felt learning control," the older wolf tries to sympathize, side eyeing Stiles.

"This isn't about control, pull over!"

"It's a few days from the full moon, it's a lot more intense for you-"

"Oh don't start in on that shit." He slams his palm against the dash and throws himself back, huffing out a breath and crossing is arms. He wants to claw his skin off so he settles for digging said claws into his forearms.

"Knock it off," Derek says calmly, grabbing Stiles hands.

"Why," Stiles grumbles, "I heal instantly now, why does it matter what I do to myself?"

Derek's brows pinch together, a deep pit of worry filling his stomach. Stiles looks tense, sitting in the passenger seat but as much as he's trying to look pissed that Derek has ignored his last three requests to pull over he didn't hesitate to hold onto Derek's hand.

"Did-" Stiles hand squeezes Derek's, "Did you tell Scott?"

Derek glances at him, "No, that's up to you."

Stiles nods and slowly let's Derek's hand go before leaning his face against the window. Derek can smell his anxiety, can smell his fear but Stiles is angry too and he won't stop moving, more then usual. He knows the boy needs to find a way to ground himself but the full moon is so close and he's barely been a wolf for a week. Stiles won't have any control under the influence of this moon, the older Were knows that the loss of control will plague him the most.

"I need out Derek, now."

"A few more minutes Stiles-"

"No! I don't-"

"Stiles," Derek flashes his eyes but leaves out the command, Stiles goes silent anyway. "Just breathe, okay? Do you... do you remember that mantra I tried to teach Liam?"

Stiles scoffs, "The one that didn't work?"

"Just try it," he pauses, then adds, "Please."

Stiles says it, _Alpha-Beta-Omega_ , again and again on a low breath and tries to picture something. His first thought is his dad but then he's angrier because what if his dad hates him? First a demon fox possesses him and now he's a werewolf, his dad was going to have a heart attack.

Derek speaks softly, reminds him to repeat the mantra and Stiles thinks of his mom but a dull ache forms in his chest. He tries thinking of Scott but it only reminds him that his best friend is likely going to be upset about this because he knew how much Stiles didn't want The Bite. He thinks of how simple it was for Scott to find an anchor though. When this leads him to think of Allison, he knows his eyes flash before he hits the dash again and growls out.

"If you don't let me out I will rip the door off!"

"We're here," Derek says simply and cuts the engine.

The Melbourne pack was willing to help some more by getting rid of the alphas body and Gregory invited Derek and Stiles to spend the full moon with them. He'd told Derek over the phone that they had a secure space for the newly turned and that it might be best to wait out those few days and then return home. Stiles had been reluctant at first but after ten minutes in the car he had been ready to eat his own eyes.

"Hello again Derek," Gregory greets and then turns to Stiles, "You must be the boy who's caused so much trouble."

He's smiling but Stiles bristles.

"Did you have an trouble with the disposal," Derek asks to change the subject. Gregory promises it was no problem and shows them to the rooms they can use, introducing his Second, a girl named Willow. She's shorter, with hazel eyes that glue to Derek instantly.

"If you can't find me she'll be able to help you," Gregory smiles, squeezes her shoulder before he makes his departure.

"I'll grab you fresh linens," Willow grins. "It's wonderful to have you, Alpha."

Derek's eyes snap upwards at the term, his chest filling in pride as he watches her walk away. He hadn't been expecting it but it's nice, almost to nice, recalling what it's like to be in power.

Stiles rolls his eyes, arms crossed over his chest, "Oh God. Are you going to start drooling?"

Derek's eyes cut to him, a glare forming, "Shut up Stiles."

"Try not to sleep with anyone who wants to murder my dad, yeah?"

Stiles slams the door to his room and Derek reminds himself that it's just the moon, Stiles has never blamed him in the past. At least, he never admitted to doing so. He sighs, rubbing a hand over his face.

Stiles lays down, his stomach rolls but he ignores it. He doesn't know why he said that and knows it was a cruel jab but his brain-to-mouth filter seems to be completely gone now.

Sleeping doesn't come easily, Stiles tosses around, waking every hour or so from a heat induced nightmare before he finally flings his covers off and creeps out. The tiles of the kitchen floor are cold to his bare feet but the increase of his body temperature makes it easy to ignore. He downs three glasses of water and drops into a stool tucked beneath the bar that lines the room.

"Hey there."

Willow made no noise as she entered, or maybe Stiles wasn't paying enough attention but she's suddenly in front of the fridge, holding a carton of milk.

"Oh, uh, hey," Stiles smiles a little, gives a wave.

"Can't sleep?"

Willow walks to a cupboard and pulls out a couple bowls and Stiles finally takes the moment to really look at her. Her skin is a darker tone then Derek's but she's built petite, her hair is all piled on top of her head and is an unnatural burgundy.

"Not really," Stiles admits and drops his gaze.

"It's the moon," she tells him before setting a bowl in front of him. Stiles looks upwards and she's already reaching for a box of Fruit Loops, he smirks.

"And the cereal?"

"You missed breakfast," she grins and pours him some. "Your alpha instructed we not wake you."

"He's not my..." Stiles stops, he hadn't taken time to think about his status. Naturally, Scott is his first choice but what if Scott doesn't accept him? Would Derek?

"I'm sorry," Willow rushes. "I had just assumed, well with him having come to find you that.... So you two aren't," she makes a gesture with two fingers, a wiggling move then clips them together.

"No," Stiles says but he feels a tug somewhere deep inside.

"Sorry," Willow says again. "So the moon, are you planning to stay?"

"I think so, I don't know if I can survive the drive right now."

"Yeah," Willow sighs and plops in the stool beside him, her own cereal in hand. "I remember my first moon, I ripped a chunk out of Greg."

"What," Stiles chuckles. "How'd you manage that?"

"I don't remember, I was told the next day when I came to but he was still healing."

She's smiling but there's a flush to her cheeks and Stiles thinks of Kira. "What's it like, this secure room your pack has?"

"Oh, Greg will wanna show you both later but it's in the cellar. It's not as dark as it sounds!" she rushes to add. "It's actually really nice and since we have no other newly bitten you won't have to be chained."

"Right," Stiles nods. "So who all lives here? It's pretty quiet."

"This is Greg's house, newly bitten stay the first few months, I live here permanently and his son Tommy. The rest of the pack have their own homes but they're all in the area, can't have suspicious neighbors if all your neighbors are wolves."

"Is your pack really big?" Stiles leans forward and spoons up some cereal.

"Last count was," Willow taps a finger to her chin, contemplating. "A hundred fifteen."

Stiles whistles, "That's impressive."

"It's fairly small compared to some though."

There isn't much talk beyond that, they eat in silence before Willow excuses herself and tells Stiles to help himself to whatever he would like. He doesn't feel as hungry as he thinks he should so he doesn't linger long before he goes outside.

Derek tries to give Stiles space, a part of him longs to be around the new wolf more then he cares to admit but he knows it's for the sake of pack. His instincts are pushing at the surface, longing to build, to strengthen but Derek knows his place in Stiles life. Scott will be his alpha, Derek will have to make due if he plans on staying in Beacon Hills. The thought of leaving for good nearly burns but he knows he can be with Cora, knows they can build something the way he and Laura had once planned.

The sun is only setting when Derek ventures outside, Stiles scent washes over him first before he spots him across the way. Gregory's home rests on a small space of land, a farm really minus the animals but it's clear and mostly quiet. Trees surround the property and box it in but the alpha had told him that all the neighbors were his betas so worry of being outed was limited.

  
Stiles is sitting in a tire swing, swaying slowly back and forth, looking miserable as ever. Derek inhales a deep breath before walking across the yard to him. The younger male doesn't acknowledge his presence but he knows he's there, Derek stops the swinging and squats down in front of him.

"Stiles," he starts. "We don't have to stay, if you wanna be with Scott for this we can go now. I'll stop whenever you ask and-"

"I'm fine," Stiles sighs but he sounds defeated.

"I-"

"I just," he holds his breath. "I thought that if I ever got The Bite it would be Scott. It'd be simple and I thought getting out of Beacon, I didn't need to worry."

Derek doesn't say anything, just patiently waits for Stiles to continue and when the boy looks at him he can see the wetness in his eyes. "Nowhere is safe."

"Your pack is safe," Derek assures him.

"What pack," Stiles scoffs. "Some random alpha turned me."

"Scott will-"

"Have you told Scott?" he challenges, Derek looks down. "Didn't think so, because you know like I do there's a chance he won't accept this. Scott loves me, I know he does but this isn't about that."

"You don't trust Scott to care beyond his instinct?"

"You did," Stiles catches his eyes. "You tried to get Scott as part of your pack but was that because Peter turned him? It was still Hale blood, right?"

"Scott was strong, loyal. I wanted that for my pack," Derek admits as he rises back up and walks to lean against the fence.

"What am I?"

Derek feels a million things at once, a hundred descriptive words come to mind and he's contemplating where to start because words still aren't easy for him when a young boy comes bounding over.

"Alpha Hale!" he shouts, all smiles. "Dad wants to show you both the safe room."

The secure room is in fact in a cellar but beneath the barn behind the house, Gregory explains it was once a wine cellar before they converted it.

"It's not insulated for noise, only because we didn't wish to lessen the pull of the moon but the door is solid against us and there are bars over the windows," the Melbourne alpha explains. "As you can see, it isn't all doom and gloom as one might first think."

The walls of the room are bare save for the shackles, which is the only way Stiles can think of them, four sets, one to each wall. There is a scent of blood and his head swims with it, not having figured out how to ignore the stronger sense yet.

Gregory lingers near the door, attempting to draw little attention as Stiles walks the room, touches the chains and the walls. Derek can't take his eyes off the chains, somehow this room feels wrong, feels like a cage and less like what it was built for. He'd had no problem chaining Erica, Boyd, and Isaac. The thought of his lost betas aches deep inside still but seeing the dejected look upon Stiles face as he fingers the chain links makes him want to howl.

"You won't need to be chained," Gregory points out. "We have no newly bitten."

"I'll be alone," Stiles states. His voice sounds near breaking and Derek is ready to leave, wants to take him home to his pack, his real pack and let him spend his first moon with them, let them surround him and make him feel safe.

"No," Derek says before he thinks to stop himself. "I'll be here."

Stiles eyes drift slowly towards him and lock, he looks uncertain in a way Derek has not seen for a long, long time.

Stiles does not join the Melbourne pack at dinner, Derek can't stop worrying because he's never known Stiles to not eat and when the meal is through, Willow catches him outside the kitchen with a plate and a smile.

"Maybe he just needs someone familiar," she says. Derek nods, thanks her and heads to the room next to his.

Stiles doesn't answer on the first knock and Derek has to suppress his urge to growl because he can hear him, smell him in there. With the moon only one night away and him getting reacquainted with his alpha power, he's finally starting to feel agitated or maybe it's been there and he hadn't noticed. He had been really focused on Stiles the last two days.

"Stiles," he calls out and knocks again but this time, when he doesn't answer, Derek just walks in.

"Generally," Stiles begins, he's laid on his side on his bed, faced away from the door. "If someone ignores you, they don't want you to come in."

"You need to eat," Derek says flatly as he closes the door behind him.

"I'm not hungry," but his stomach loudly protests the statement. Derek fights down the smirk, he really does as he moves slowly closer and sets the food next to the bed. "Am I always gonna feel like this," Stiles suddenly asks.

"How does it feel?"

"Like I could crawl out of my skin, like I wanna tear something apart, like-like fuck!" Stiles flops himself to his back, palms rubbing harshly at his eye sockets.

"I don't know exactly," Derek admits, "It's different for born wolves but after the moon isn't full, you won't feel so agitated."

"Did you mean it?"

"Yes, it's really the moon-"

"No," Stiles snaps, then sighs and speaks softer. "Earlier, when you said you'd be there. Did you mean it?"

Derek feels a tightness in his chest once the chemosignals wash over him, the entire room smells like fear and anxiety and Stiles has been keeping himself in here for hours.

"I'll be there if you want me to," Derek tells him. Stiles hands slowly fall away from his face and he's looking at Derek like he needs him, like he doesn't know what to do without him. "I'll be there," he reaffirms.


	3. Moonrise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight description of anxiety and somewhat implied panic, if these are triggers for you lovelies then I suggest you skip the chapter. Possibly the series as characters may experience these things regularly.

Stiles texts Scott the morning of the full moon from Derek's phone, he tells him he's okay and that they'll be back soon, that he'll explain more when they get there. Scott doesn't hesitate to call but Stiles can't bare to hear him right now, can't listen to his voice try and soothe when he doesn't even know what's he's soothing. He texts him that he can't talk but to let his dad know that he's sorry, that he loves him, and then he turns the phone off before slumping down in the bed. His hands are shaking and he starts chewing his lower lip, he doesn't want to cry in a house full of werewolves.

  
Willow comes knocking an hour later with Gregory's son Tommy trailing after her, she's smiling and carrying a plate full of eggs and bacon and toast.

"Alpha Hale asked I bring this to you," she tells him before Tommy bounces up onto the bed and next to Stiles.

"I like Derek," he smiles and he can't be more then 10, Stiles thinks.

"Tommy," Willow snips. "He's an alpha."

"It's okay," Stiles smiles at him. "But, you wanna know a secret? He likes being called Der-bear more."

Tommy jumps up and runs off, Willow calling after him, "Don't you dare!"

Stiles smirks but Willow turns on him, hand on her hip as she sets his food on the stand. Stiles mocks innocence, hands palms up, "What?"

"He's supposed to be seeing to the needs of our guests," she gripes.

"Derek's needs will be met, he _loves_ the nickname," Stiles exaggerates with an eye roll. Willow shakes her head and sighs, makes a pointed nod towards the food and then walks out.

Stiles picks at the food but it's not long before he starts feeling immured and ventures out. The house is over flowing with werewolves, there's a pleasant buzz filling nearly every space, children run passed as he walks down the hall and out into the living room. People no older then Stiles are piled on the couch and chairs on their phones and several older women and men are crammed in the kitchen, chatting and prepping food. He's never seen a pack so alive for a moon, he's used to being stuck home while the pack runs but he can't picture them behaving this way, not when they're usually so tense the days leading up to it.

When Stiles finally makes it outside he feels like all the air rushes back into his lungs, like he'd been underwater long enough to nearly drown. He keeps walking awhile because even outside there are people everywhere, setting up long tables or chasing other kids around. He just needs a moment, he figures, just some air and a moment where someone doesn't bump him or smile at him, or welcome him for the moon. One moment where he doesn't have to be in the room but doesn't feel like he's being smothered.

Inside the barn seems to be the only vacant space and Stiles practically barrels in, before dropping his hands to his knees and breathing heavily, panic rising in his throat.

"Reminds me of my family."

Stiles eyes snap up and Derek is just there, leaned against the open barn door, arms crossed over his chest. He doesn't meet Stiles eyes and there's a scent he can't place, it makes his heart ache though so he imagines it's grief.

"It's a lot though," Derek says when Stiles doesn't speak. For a moment they are both silent until Stiles breathing slows and he can stand upright again, Derek finally looks up at him. "Did you talk to Scott?"

Stiles nods slowly, digs into his pocket and moves almost cautiously to hand the phone over. When Derek doesn't say anything and simply takes his phone back Stiles tenses, swallows the lump that's forming.

"I forgot about school," he manages when neither make a move to leave.

"I talked to them," Derek says. "They're giving you a little time off."

"Oh," because it's all he can think to say.

When night begins to fall the werewolves are gathering outside and Stiles is left in the cellar, he's growling, his claws extending and his fangs cut his lips. Gregory is quick about informing him that the door will be locked up and someone will come in the morning. At first, Stiles is disappointed that Derek isn't there and then he's angry and throws himself against the door, snarling his outrage.

How dare he make a claim to be there and then not bother to show, how dare he act like he cared, like he was Stiles friend. Stiles wants to rip the bars from the window but they sting, singeing his skin on contact and he howls in pain.

"They're infused with wolfsbane," he hears from behind him. When he whirls around, Derek is there, eyes glowing. Stiles doesn't think as he charges and slams into the older werewolf, he claws with no real reasoning and snaps his fangs. Derek takes a few hits before he pins him down on his stomach, growling out as he does so.

"Stiles," he says, his voice a deeper timber then usual. "Focus, think of Scott, of the pack."

The words are becoming hazy and he starts thrashing around, Derek left him, for hours he left him in here, what would he know? Stiles wants to taste blood, he realizes for a horrifying moment and he freezes, oxygen burning with his long inhales.

"Stiles," Derek questions and the pressure slowly releases from his back.

"Chain me up," Stiles pleads. "Derek, chain me up now."

"You don't-"

"Do it," he snarls and flips himself over, eyes glowing.

Derek looks hesitant but Stiles scrambles backwards until he feels the chains rattle behind him, he wraps his hands around the links and pulls himself up a little. He doesn't take his eyes from the other wolf, pleads with them so he'll understand his desperation.

Derek sighs, rises up and helps lock Stiles in place, he looks disappointed but Stiles can't care, not when he wanted so badly to rip into him.   
"You should go," Stiles tells him.

"I'm not going anywhere."

The last thing Stiles is able to remember is looking into Derek's golden, green eyes.

Morning is bleak, sounds feel like a hangover while someone pounds nails into a board so it takes a minute for Stiles to realize he isn't chained anymore and that he's been sleeping on the floor. Derek is there and there's blood on his shirt, Stiles jerks away from his place beside him and his eyes skirt across the room. There's blood on the floor and on the cuffs of the chains he'd been locked to the night before and Stiles feels his breaths come in more shallow.

He can't remember and Derek isn't moving and there's blood, there's blood and the scent overwhelms him. He doesn't know if it's his blood or Derek's, he doesn't know. The panic is crushing, his head pounds and he draws his knees upwards, wraps himself inwards and rocks.

Whether it's minutes or hours he isn't sure for how long he stays there, curled in on himself, before a hand is gripping his shoulder and someone is calling his name. Golden, green eyes are the first thing he sees.

"Stiles," Derek calls impatiently, like he's said it several times. "It's okay, it's morning."

He doesn't speak but his fingers tangle into a particularly tattered part of Derek's shirt that has dried blood, he holds tight and looks up at him.

"I'm okay," Derek assures him. "You didn't hurt me."

He wants to ask what happened but his mouth is dry and his throat aches to much to voice the words. Derek looks pained when he speaks next, "You kept clawing at yourself."

It's only moments before Gregory is coming inside, he greets the both of them as though there was no incident and then informs that breakfast is waiting. For once since arriving here, Stiles eats with Gregory's pack but he's silent the entire time, nibbling slowly.

After Stiles disappears to his room Derek takes the time to shower, scrubbing off blood and trying not to recall the way Stiles howled and dug his claws into himself the night before. It's easier once his blood doesn't stain Derek's skin, he had cleaned up before they ate but a proper shower was necessary.

Derek walks across the hall back to his room with a towel around his waist, as he walks in he freezes. Willow is sitting atop his bed, her hair is down and wild, she's in a shirt that's too big and hangs off her shoulder and shorts that barely show beneath it.

"Hey there alpha," she grins. Derek's never been uncomfortable in his nudity but there's something feral about the way her eyes scan across his body. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you," he tries to ignore her presence as he walks over to his clothes on the bed.

"You know," she lays back, stretches. "I know you have to get Stiles back to his alpha but what are you going to do after?"

Derek doesn't answer as he quickly dresses, he wants to get on the road as soon as Stiles is ready, wants to get him home so he can see that things will be all right.

"Because I was thinking," Willow continues without encouragement. "Greg is always looking to build alliances in the area. Maybe you could start your pac-"

"My pack is in Beacon Hills," he says flatly as he tugs his jacket on.

"Everyone knows McCall has Beacon Hills now, do you really think he'll-"

"Scott and I are on mutual terms, we have no issues. If you'll excuse me," he steps around her legs and grabs his wallet and keys off the nightstand.

"Just," she says and tugs the hem of his jacket, though she doesn't stop him. "Think about it. Greg would help you."

Derek spots Stiles leaving the other bathroom in the same state he'd been, without a shirt Derek is able to see how Stiles arms toned out but he drops his eyes quickly and moves passed him to the living room. Gregory is visible through the front window outside with his son and several other children. They tackle him, climb his sides, growl and tumble one another, their alpha laughs, flashes his eyes occasionally. Derek sighs, the sight reminds him a little to much of his father.

"I'm ready."

Stiles hair is still dripping but he's fully dressed, eyes downcast, Derek huffs and they head for his Camaro.

"Where's your jeep?" Derek asks as they pull away. Gregory had extended his kindness, told Derek that he hoped to see him again soon and that he and Stiles were always welcome, along with their packs.

"Parked out in that industrial place," he says quietly.

"Gregory said he'd send someone to get it, that it can stay at his place until you're ready to come back."

"Okay."

"Stiles," Derek breathes, figuring they can talk now that they're alone. "What happened?"

The boys eyes close tight before he exhales heavily, "He showed up in my dorm, after he bit me. He had me leave with me, took me out to this crappy motel. He wanted to know what pack I ran with and when he alpha-ed it out of me-" Stiles voice cracks and Derek has the urge to grab his hand but holds back. "He wanted me to go after you guys."

"So the wolfsbane?" Derek glances from the road to Stiles and back.

"I couldn't use mountain ash anymore, I figured with the wolfsbane I wouldn't be strong enough."

"How long were you there?"

"A day or two, I don't know," Stiles runs a hand through his hair. "It's fuzzy."

"I'm sorry," Derek says and then feels Stiles confusion. "That I didn't find you sooner."

Stiles laugh is self deprecating, "I'm not that teenager you used to have to shove away danger anymore, Derek. I should be able to take care of myself."

"Pack take care of each other."

He says it but Derek isn't even sure where he fits anymore, how Scott or the betas will react to Derek being an alpha again. He hadn't even had the nerve to call Cora yet.

By the time they reach the first sign for Beacon Hills they haven't stopped but Stiles is suddenly shouting to pull over. The road is an empty stretch between the highway and entering the city, they're surrounded by trees. Stiles throws himself out the passenger door and is hunched over the grass by the time Derek makes it around the other side.

"Hey," he calls but Stiles is trembling and looks like he might be sick. "Stiles, it's okay."

"I put my dad through so much shit already," he grumbles and falls back and sits. "He asked me, you know? Right after he found out about werewolves, he asked if I wanted that, if I was gonna run off and get The Bite."

Derek drops down beside him with enough distance that they aren't touching, "Your dad loves you."

"You can love someone and still be disappointed in them."

Derek swallows and there's a click from his dry throat, he has to force the words out. "Isaac told me that Peter had told you about Paige."

Stiles looks to him, eyes showing shock and Derek continues. "When my mom found me, I figured she'd hate me, she'd disown me, that my entire family would just be," he huffs. "I thought like you are but she didn't, she just wanted to be there for me, she didn't want me to hate myself so she made sure she loved me more."

"Derek," Stiles says. "I-"

"It's not what it used to be," he interrupts, knowing if he doesn't he won't continue. "Your dad loves you. You've always said Scott was your brother, so I'm thinking your dad loves him. Did that change?"

"No but-"

"Did Scott's mom stop loving him, was she disappointed in what he became? Or was she disappointed that he didn't think he could tell her?"

"Yeah," Stiles sighs, toes at a rock beside his sneaker. "Yeah, okay. Mr. Alpha know it all now."

Derek smirks and Stiles nudges him, head resting on his forearms as he looks at him. "You're gonna do good this time, you know."

A howl cuts through their moment, followed by another and then another, Derek smiles.

"Scott knows we're here."

"Sounds different," Stiles bites his lip, tries to concentrate.

"You want to answer it," Derek guesses.

"No," Stiles brows furrow. "Should I?"

"In time, when your alpha calls, you'll want to answer it, it's okay if you don't feel that yet."

"Stiles? Derek?"

Both men look up to see Scott standing at the edge of the treeline, he's in beta form, eyes glowing red but he looks confused as he takes a deep breath through his nose. Then his eyes widen as he looks between the two, "What happened?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to take a moment to thank everyone leaving kudos and comments and anyone even taking the time to read. You all mean the world to me already!


	4. Contrite

Scott scent marks. Stiles had been suspicious for years, had thought that Scott had developed a habit to be a little more touchy since becoming an alpha but he would never admit it. Not even when the entire pack basically rubbed themselves all over Stiles stuff when he went off to school. Apparently, that had nothing on Stiles becoming a full fledge member of the werewolf pack though.

He'd growled at first, assumed Derek had magically become an alpha again without his knowledge then ran off to bite Stiles but once that was cleared up, he'd tackled his brother and rubbed his face all up and down the side of Stiles neck. He was never going to live it down, no matter how old or gray they got, Stiles would hold this on him.

Liam was right behind Scott though, followed by Isaac and they took a turn rubbing against Stiles as well. He laughed, "I didn't even get this much action my first year away!"

Derek rolled his eyes, a pointed look saying 'I told you' so was thrown in after though. When Stiles was on his feet again, Scott was grinning like a mad man but Isaac was lingering near Derek, like he was afraid of rejection. Scott pulled Stiles into another hug before Stiles caught the beta leaning into his old alpha. Derek looked tense at first, like he didn't expect it but then he's hugging the younger man and looking almost happy.

"So," Scott says as he pulls back. "What the hell happened?"

"Long story Scotty," Stiles pats his shoulder. "But I... I need to see my dad."

The sheriff is still in his uniform when Derek pulls up to the house, he's standing on the porch and Stiles knows he's tense by the crease between his eyebrows. Scott, Isaac, and Liam fill the backseat but Stiles can only hear the rabbit beating of his heart. A warm hand lands on his wrist that's limp in his lap, Derek's looking at Stiles and nods slightly, like he's telling him it's okay, reminding him of what he'd opened up to Stiles about.

"I gotta do this alone," Stiles says to the car but he looks back at Scott. His best friend makes the puppy eyes he never grew out of but he says okay and then Stiles is climbing out of the car.

John doesn't waste even a moment, he's rushing forward and yanking Stiles into a rough hug immediately. "Where have you been, kid? Scared the hell out of all of us."

Stiles finally feels the tears he'd held in the past few days and slumps into his dads embrace. "I'm sorry," he sniffles.

It's a minute before they separate and another before he's ushered inside and his dad sits him down with a hot cup of coffee. The pack sits out front, Stiles knows, because Derek promised they'd wait in case his dad had a break down. Or made Stiles leave.

"Stiles, what happened?"

Stiles thinks back to the sheriffs station when Scott's mom found out, about the way she'd reacted and he hopes his dad will be as understanding.

"I love you," he starts and the sheriff shifts forward in his seat, sets his mug down and reaches out for his son.

"Stiles-"

"Can you just," he chokes. "Could you just tell me."

"Of course I love you," John states. "I always love you but you're scaring me son."

"You have no idea yet."

"Did you get some girl pregnant, is that what this is about?" John grabs his hand, tries to get Stiles to look at him but his son just laughs and pulls away, flops back into the couch.

Stiles may have neglected to mention to his father that what had originally been a college 'experimentation' during his first year away with a guy named Ricky, turned out to be an awakening that he'd very happily chased after. Stiles may still have a love for women but it'd been awhile since he'd actually been with one, long enough that he was sure there was definitely no sudden pregnancy popping up.

"No dad," he shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. "You're not about to be a grandpa."

"Thank heavens," the sheriff sighs and sits back, an easy smile on his face. "It's too soon for some tiny person to run around calling me old."

"Dad," Stiles takes a deep breath then sits up, his eyes are still closed. "Something happened at school-"

"Is anyone dead?"

The age old question really, Stiles thinks because ever since werewolves turned out to be real his dad was always worrying that Stiles might wind up imprisoned. He can't say no without it being a lie though and instead of drawing it out any longer, Stiles opens his eyes and let's them glow. The sheriff inhales sharply.

Derek doesn't listen to the conversation going on inside the Stilinski's home although he wants to, Isaac climbs over the center divider and plops in the passenger seat.

"He's fine," he tells Derek. Scott nods his head to confirm and Derek starts the car. "The sheriff was never going to hate him."

"It wasn't for him," Derek states as he pulls away from the curb.

"Thank you," Scott says suddenly and Derek cocks an eyebrow into the rear view mirror. "I don't know what happened but I know you took care of him, so thank you."

Derek nods his head but doesn't say anything as he drives, he heads for Deaton's when Scott asks and all the wolves but himself climb out when they get there.

"Derek," Scott says before he walks in. "If Stiles still trusts you then however you became an alpha again can't be bad. I hope you know you don't need to leave."

Isaac gets back in the car and Derek raises his eyebrows, Isaac smiles, "Heading home?"

Derek smirks, glances down and then pulls out, heading in the direction of his loft.

Stiles doesn't cry again but he kind of thinks he wants to when his dad spends the next ten minutes just holding him. He hadn't freaked out or shouted, he didn't ask Stiles to leave, he just moved to the couch with Stiles and pulled him into his arms.

"I thought you'd be mad," Stiles admits.

"If Scott didn't bite you, I know you didn't choose this."

Stiles breathes a sigh of relief, "Derek's an alpha again."

The sheriff huffs and draws back, "Okay, what happened?"

Stiles recants the story, leaves out some more brutal details and then waits for his father to absorb it all. He doesn't expect much, figures his dad will question what happened to the alpha but could figure it out since Derek is one now and Stiles is okay. He waits and waits for his dad to ask a hundred questions, to ground his adult self even but his dad runs a hand over his hair and smiles.

"I always knew it'd happen," he says. "You and Scott, you've always followed each other."

"I thought," Stiles starts, then sighs. "I thought getting out of here that everything would be different."

"Son," the sheriff smirks and wraps an arm around Stiles shoulders. "You're a part of this messy life. Here, there, sometimes I wish you weren't but I know you. Maybe you were meant to be a werewolf."

Stiles rolls his eyes at his father's sentiment, "I don't know, there's a witch at my school, studying botany and a vampire who claims to be "vegetarian" but really just eats a lot of raw meat and occasionally picks off a goat from the farm a half hour away."

"Oh boy," his dad breathes out and they both flop back against the couch. "A witch and vampire huh?"

"Yeah," Stiles sighs. "But um, Derek and I stayed with this pack that knew his sister, Laura. They let us stay for the full moon, I couldn't sit in the car for long before it. That's why it took a few days."

"How do you feel now?"

"Tired," he scrubs a hand over his face. "But like I want to run around in circles."

"Derek's a good man," John states and Stiles cocks an eyebrow at him. "We should have him for dinner soon."

"Dinner? With Derek Hale? The guy you arrested?"

"Weren't you the reason for that," he gives Stiles a pointed look.

"I apologized!" he flails about, arms raised above his head.

"He found you, is my point and I'd like to give him a proper thank you."

"Dad-" Stiles tries to tell him it's okay because honestly, he can't picture a scenario where Derek willingly comes over.

"I don't know what I'd do without you kid."

"Probably eat that cherry pie in the fridge," Stiles smirks, attempting to lighten the mood, his dad tenses. "It's going in the trash, along with all that red meat."

"All right, it's time for you to go back to school," John laughs and shoves Stiles over.

Derek calls Cora the day after he and Stiles return, she listens quietly as he explains the story and when he tells her he's an alpha again, he doesn't expect her reaction.

"Are you okay," she asks softly.

"I've been alpha before."

"It's different now and," she's quiet. "Things happened before."

"Stiles thinks it'll be better," he doesn't know why he tells her that.

"Stiles thinks hmm," she says in an almost mocking tone. "Well I guess if Stiles thinks and the world didn't implode."

Derek rolls his eyes, Cora had a thing for picking on Stiles more then the rest of the pack. The few times she'd come back to Beacon Hills for a visit the two often wound up bickering back and forth for hours before one would leave.

"I-" Derek takes a deep breath. "I'm going to do better. I promise."

"D," she sighs and he can picture the way her shoulders roll, like when she's just exhausted of him. "You did fine before."

"No," he admits. "All I cared about was power."

"And now?"

"I want a pack Cora," he almost laughs at himself when his voice cracks. "A real pack."

"Well good," she laughs. "I can't have my brother spoiling our name as bad as our uncle."

Derek knows she's teasing, they've come to a comfortable space where they can do that now. It stings at times, for the both of them, but things aren't the way they were.

Later on, after Derek thwarts Cora's attempt at asking about his dating life, Isaac shows up. It had surprised Derek the day before when he'd tagged along and hung out after but him showing up with dinner is even more bizarre. They talk about Stiles at first, about the alpha and what had happened. Isaac asks if he'd wanted it, the alpha power or if it was really a moment of convenience. Derek has to take a second to think, to reconsider the night and what happened and if he'd have done it differently if he could. The answer is yes. He doesn't mind having the power but if it wouldn't have saved Stiles and himself, he wouldn't have went for it.

Then they talk about Scott, how Kira showed up a few days ago and that's a surprise. No one had seen or heard from her since she'd left three years ago, Isaac said she's different, not quiet or shy like she'd been. She's planning to stay, as it turns out and Scott is already lovesick once more. Derek rolls his eyes but then Isaac tells him that Kira was explicit in that she wanted nothing more then to help out, no intention of being involved with anyone. Apparently Scott looked like a kicked puppy since and that seeing Stiles was the first he'd looked happy in days, Derek quirks an eyebrow at the blonde but the guy looks away quickly and it's left alone.

Isaac asks Derek how he feels about Stiles being a werewolf now, after all these years of him being the human in the pack. Derek doesn't honestly know, he hadn't had time to process it because at first he was just relieved Stiles was okay, then angry that some other pack, some alpha, took his choice from him. Then when they were at Gregory's, he was so wrapped up in trying to keep Stiles calm, help him feel safe, he just didn't think about it.

"It's different," he settles on and Isaac nods like that's all the explanation he needs.

"How was the full moon?"

Derek bristles almost on instinct, once Stiles knew he hadn't hurt Derek he didn't seem at all interested in what had happened which was puzzling him because Stiles never shut up with his curious nature. His head swims with images of the young wolf howling like he was in pain and then raking claws down his arms. He'd fought Stiles almost all that night, it didn't matter that he'd heal, Derek couldn't watch him rip himself apart.

"It was rough," he says on a sigh. "But he'll get better, once he finds his anchor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended for this chapter to be longer but it did not turn out that way. I know some were expecting a bigger reunion but this simplicity was how I imagined things, we'll see more details as the story progresses, the chapters change the farther along we go.   
> I promise the other characters come in more later and that we'll see Stiles and Derek have more...time. Thank you all so much for your encouragements! This story wouldn't be possible without your love!


	5. Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went a whole other direction then I originally thought and I actually rewrote it 3 times haha enjoy!

The days pass slowly, Derek hears from Scott that John helped Stiles get a temporary leave from school and shoots off a text to Willow -whose number he isn't sure how he got into his phone- that he'll come get Stiles jeep. She tells him not to rush, that Gregory isn't worried but that he may have found the alphas pack and will call Derek when he knows. Isaac shows up regularly to Derek's, he isn't sure what to make of it but Scott doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Although, Derek starts to suspect that maybe that's why Isaac is there so much instead of with his alpha like he used to be, before Kira returned.

Malia pops up three days after they had come home, she only comes to tell Derek that Peter was let out of Eichen, or escaped, she isn't sure. No one has seen or smelled him though so she believes he left town, admits she received an anomalous text from a number she didn't know the day before. She looks at him strangely but she doesn't act out to the smell of alpha the way he assumed she would.

The day after has Liam poking around with Theo and Hayden, Derek wants to roll his eyes because he remembers the way Stiles had texted him when Theo first showed up. He figures they won't be seeing Stiles any time soon, although he knows Stiles definitely has a soft spot for what he regularly refers to as 'Scott's Wolfy adopted son'.

Scott's mom Melissa shows up by the end of the week, she looks uncomfortable but ends up hugging him, Derek is stiff the whole time but tries to relax.

"I love him like my son," she tells Derek when she pulls away. "And John wouldn't survive losing him too."

Derek feels the tension build in his chest, can't stand the way the pack seems to think of him as a hero. When Scott had thanked him for the third time, Derek told him any of them would have done it, Derek just had the convenient schedule. Still, he won't lie to himself that he does swell with pride at the look of adoration from Melissa.

John calls him the day after Melissa stopped by, at first Derek is worried Stiles is struggling but John assures him he's okay and that they'd like Derek to come to dinner.

"You can ask me anything," he tells him, assuming that's what it's about.

"Derek, you saved my son. I just want you to come eat dinner in my house and let me thank you the way I was raised."

He wants to argue, decline, really he does but he has a strange admiration for the man and can't help himself, he agrees to come Sunday evening when the sheriff is off duty. Then the whole week leaves him confused, Kira and Lydia showed up with Isaac one evening and Lydia updated him on Jackson and Ethan. Kira explained a bit about going back to Japan and the training she had done. By the end of that day it seemed the only person Derek wasn't interacting with was Stiles. For some reason, this made him uncomfortable and almost eager for Sunday night.

Stiles slept for three days when he got home, he didn't know why because he hadn't felt tired but it was like, he lied down in bed and just didn't get up. His dad told him Scott came by with Melissa and that some of the rest of the pack did as well but he couldn't be bothered. He went to text Derek about it but then Lydia showed up and he figured he should shower and try to be social.

"How do you feel," she asked as they sat down on the couch. Stiles had showered quickly and made up some popcorn, she looked at him crazy and snagged a water instead.

"Great," he laughed and popped a handful of the buttery treat into his mouth. Lydia's mouth quirked and her eyebrow raised, her signature 'that isn't a proper answer' look. "Physically," he corrected himself. "I feel great physically."

"But?"

"I don't know, it happened, I panicked."

"Stiles," she sighs.

"What do you want me to say Lydia?"

"The truth," she shrugs, eyes widening for emphasis.

"I don't know," he sets the popcorn on the coffee table. "I haven't figured it out. It's new."

He didn't know how to tell her that he'd been okay, being turned and that his real stress had been over telling them and that his panic only arouse when the alpha so easily commanded him to destroy them and he'd tried to obey. He'd flashed back to the Nogitsune, the way he'd felt both powerful and utterly helpless at the exact same time. It wasn't something he'd enjoyed, in truth he had wanted to swallow as much wolfsbane as possible so he couldn't come here and do what the alpha wanted him to.

He flexes his fingers on his thigh, thinking of the way Derek's blood bad felt as it dripped down, his hand squeezes into a fist.

"Scott's more excited than I thought," she says as she flicks her hair over her shoulder, Stiles winces. "He's angry though, I doubt he'll tell you because he wants you to be comfortable but the fact that this wasn't your choice, he isn't happy."

"I know Lydia," he sighs.

"We're just glad you're safe though," she smiles and touches his arm. He thinks about the time they kissed last, how it had been everything he wanted and somehow, it didn't suit them. He doesn't ache for the way she feels warm and soft, he just, he wants to hug her because she smells like home. She promised whenever she was here she'd check in on his dad so his childhood home has a good dose of Lydia wafting through it. He smiles.

"I'm always fine, I can just run head first into the danger now and Derek can't be all 'You're human, you don't heal, we do'," he does his best brooding Derek face and Lydia giggles.

"So I hear he's an alpha again?"

"Yeah," Stiles almost grimaces and looks away. "I kind of forced it on him."

"Stiles-"

"I did Lyd's," he huffs and sits back. "I just wanted to stop him, that alpha and when I saw a chance, I used it. Only, that chance meant Derek had to kill him."

"He'd have done anything Stiles, to make sure you were safe."

"Yeah, he really likes taking care of the pack."

Lydia rolls her eyes, looks exasperated and Stiles adds with a smile, "He's gonna do good this time Lydia. He's different."

"Oh I know," she laughs and shakes her head.

"Oh you know?" Stiles smirks. "Been spending more time with our recluse pack mate have you?"

"Shut up Stiles," she says and gets up.

Scott comes over that night and the three of them watch movies and snack, before leaving Lydia says that she has to go back to school by the following week and wants to spend some time with Stiles. He tells her to come over Saturday for lunch and she kisses his cheek, Scott tells him Kira is back and planning to stay. He looks like someone kicked his dog but chips right back up as he talks about runs under the moon. Stiles can't burst his bubble that he had no control under his first full moon and doubt's he'll have any under the next.

Scott says Isaac's name once and Stiles instantly smells the change in emotion.   
"Where is Isaac," he asks and Scott tenses up.

"He's been hanging with Derek the last few days."

"That bother you?" He wants to know how Scott feels about Derek being an alpha again but he's afraid he won't like the answer.

"No," Scott shakes his head vehemently. "He can hang out with whoever, I just..."

Stiles waits but Scott never picks back up, he opts for pushing the other subject. "Derek's an alpha again."  
Okay, so he wasn't subtle.

"Yeah?" Scott cocks an eyebrow.

"That's not gonna be a problem? Two alphas, one town."

"Look, I get Derek has to get betas, I'm hoping he will steer clear of the high school this time, it'd be even weirder then before since he's almost -what- 25 or 26 now?"

"I just meant, you aren't feeling like...threatened?"

"Honestly? Once I knew he'd just brought you home, no. I was actually kind of grateful."

And that's how Scott hears the story, the whole story accept about the full moon, Stiles doesn't want to think about it. That heart stopping moment he thought he'd seriously hurt Derek. So they don't talk about it but Scott spends hours that night, trying to teach Stiles the different chemosignals. It takes time but eventually he's able to know when they're bad ones or good ones, he tells Scott that the bad signals usually smell soured or gritty. He can't explain the good.

"It'll come to you eventually," Scott says and grips his shoulder as they walk across the backyard and towards Stiles house. "The more times you smell an emotion the more you start to recognize it."

"Yes alpha," Stiles teases and jabs Scott with his elbow, somehow the word doesn't feel right on his tongue.

"Shut up," Scott quips and grabs Stiles into a headlock. It's more forceful now that he doesn't need to worry about hurting his best friend & Stiles instinctively knows he could fight back but wraps his arms around Scott's middle and picks him up before dropping him back down. Both boys laugh as Scott gets back to his feet and dusts off before they walk inside.

"So my dad is having this thing where he just has to thank Derek for "rescuing" me," Stiles air quotes.

"What do you mean," Scott turns to look at him from where he'd been poking around in the fridge.

"He apparently invited Derek to dinner Sunday."

Scott's laughing now, "What excuse did Derek use?"

"None, I guess he's coming over."

"Dude, no way," Scott laughs some more. "Derek agreed to come over? For dinner? With your dad? The sheriff?"

"I know right," Stiles squeezes passed Scott and grabs a coke. "I thought for sure it wouldn't happen and then this morning he's asking if Derek has a favorite food."

"Does he," Scott cocks an eyebrow.

"How should I know!" Stiles tosses his hands up.

"So what're you going to do?" Scott pops a coke for himself and takes a long swig as they both walk back to the living room.

"That's on my dad, Derek's his guest."

"Have you told him?"

"Told who what?" Stiles asks as he flops onto the couch, being still is worse now and he shuffles about to get comfortable.

"Derek, did you ever thank him? I mean I know it was rough at first but," Scott scratches the back of his head as he sits next to Stiles. "He didn't really hesitate to go find you and he made sure to let me know what was happening. Like that pack that helped? He got them involved almost as soon as he knew something was wrong."

Stiles hadn't considered it, the fact that Derek might have dropped everything to come looking for him or that he had involved Gregory's pack, a pack that in all these years Stiles had never once heard of. Or that he had been there for awhile before he actually found Stiles, and he hadn't even told Derek thank you yet.

"I mean, you know I'd have been there bro, like I wanted to go right away but-"

"Scott," Stiles interrupts and shakes his head. "I get it, did you find the omegas?"

"Yeah, they were holed up together out on the preserve basically living under a rock. Deaton said it was strange because they behaved like a pack to one another but still had the wild traits of omegas."

"What does that mean?"

"We just have to keep an eye out for awhile, and hey!" Scott says as a big grin spreads across his face and he turns to Stiles. "Now we have extra wolf senses!"

 

Lydia shows up promptly at 7:30 on Saturday morning and Stiles has never, never despised her until that moment and he let's it be known by the glare he gives her through his sleep encrusted eyes.

"Morning," she smiles brightly as she saunters in passed him.

"Do banshees not sleep? Did I miss that in the Beastiary?"

"Coffee," she grins as she holds out a thermo cup towards him, the smile looks evil in her eyes.

"People this chipper this early aren't to be trusted," he continues to glare as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Fine," she says and slowly pulls the cup away, Stiles snatches it and glares over the plastic lid as he sips. Lydia smirks and heads to the kitchen, Stiles follows and as they move he's taking deep inhales, trying to learn her scent. He'd practically sniffed off Scott's skin last night trying to figure out what made him smell like an alpha.

"Stiles," Lydia groans as she drops a paper bag on the table. "I'll tell you this only once, the sniffing thing, it's still creepy even if we are friends."

He ignores her and shoots right for the bag, ruffling around because he definitely smells a bear claw in there somewhere beneath the health nut muffin Lydia insists on eating.

After coffee and breakfast she orders him to shower and dress is something appropriate, so of course Stiles digs out an old Batman shirt and a plaid button up that matches. The sleeves are to short but he rolls them up and leaves the thing unbuttoned, Lydia rolls her eyes so hard it's a wonder they don't fall into the back of her head. Stiles smirks.

She takes him to run her errands for her mother which includes picking up the pre-ordered groceries from the health food store a town over and then picking up the departments schedules for the boutique Mrs. Martin opened a year ago. She grabs Prada and they head off to the "doggy salon".

"If I was gonna do this all day, I could have stayed in my pajamas," Stiles grumbles as he slumps down into the passenger seat. Prada nuzzles up his neck, licks his cheek and Lydia eyes them funny.

"She's usually really weird around the werewolves," she says.

"Yeah, well I'm special. So what are you doing to your poor dog today?"

"She is anything but poor," Lydia says proudly. "She's getting a trim and her nails cut down, she needs a good bath as well."

"All of this sounds like stuff you can do at home, yourself."

"Not if I want her to have the French tips and for her fur to be even," Lydia glares out at the car stopped in front of them.

"I don't even think I know what you just said," Stiles huffs. "Come on Lydia, I thought you wanted to hang out. You could have told me it was just chores."

"We've done two things and they aren't chores," she shakes her head as she flicks her blinker on. "Honestly, it hasn't even been two hours."

"Well I'm tired of sitting in the car, Jesus," Stiles can feel the urge to growl.

"Since when do you not like being in a car?"

Stiles doesn't want to think about cars, he just wants out of it as soon as possible, he could run at super human speed now couldn't he?

  
Derek shows up at the Stilinski's at 7:47 on Sunday night, John had said 8 but he hadn't had anything else to do. He's standing at the door, about to knock when he wonders if he should have brought something, that was what people normally did wasn't it? Before he can consider anything Stiles swings the door open, he's dressed nicely compared to his usual attire, a red shirt with a slight V-neck and dark washed jeans that fit how they should.

"Lydia picked it out," Stiles rushes and Derek's eyes flick back up to his face, he hadn't even been aware he was staring. Stiles rubs at the back of his head, smells almost of embarrassment and Derek only cocks an eyebrow at him. "I don't know, she dragged me into the mall yesterday. Didn't go well, by the way."

Derek moves closer without thinking, comes into Stiles bubble and breathes in, he still smells of his usual stress. "What happened?"

"Oh um," Stiles swallows and looks away a bit. "We were in her car to long, I don't know it stressed me out and then all those people in the stores," he sighs, drops his hand. "I almost lost it, yelled at her, in order to accept my apology I had to wear what she picked out for tonight."

Derek can't help the odd look he gives him but shakes it off and speaks before Stiles starts ranting into Lydia and her fashion demands. "Should I have brought something?"

"Brough- Oh, dude no," Stiles grins. "My dad went a little crazy because I had no idea what your favorite meal was so he kind of made everything."

"What do you-" And that's when all the scents hit him, cheese and meat and sauce and vegetables and creams and spices and herbs. Derek feels overwhelmed for a minute and Stiles touches his arm.

"I've been battling that all day buddy," he sighs.   
  
"Stiles should I make the- Oh hello Derek," John walks out of the kitchen with a floral apron around his waist and an oven mitt on one hand. Stiles snickers but bites his lower lip and looks away, Derek tries not to crack a smile.

"Hello sir," he says and goes to shake his hand, apparently Derek calling John 'sir' still gets to Stiles because it's then that he loses it and busts up laughing.

Dinner is something like a five course meal of Lasagna made with real Italian sausage, chicken Alfredo, spinach stuffed ravioli, country fried steak and eggs, and something Polish that Derek could not pronounce for the life of him and that's how he learns Stiles real name.

"By the time he was ten he had everyone and their mother calling him Stiles," John chuckles after having told the story of when his son reintroduced himself to every single person they came across. Stiles had dropped his head to the table several minutes ago when Derek's whole head snapped his direction after the mention of his real name.

"I. Hate. My. Life." Stiles emphasizes each word by banging his head each time, then he snaps up abruptly, eyes narrowing on Derek. "Scott is sworn to an oath, if you so much as utter one single syllable it's gonna be me making the teeth ripping throats out threat, only I'll actually do it!"

Derek doesn't really consider how John might react when he grins real sharp at Stiles. "You think I won't?"

Stiles looks like he's up for the challenge and Derek feels a strange sense of eagerness, it reminds him a little of when he'd tussle with Laura or one of his cousins but before either can do anything they're brought down by Stiles father clearing his throat.

"Teeth and throat ripping," John looks pointedly at Stiles.

"Ancient history pops," Stiles smiles and when John looks down he winks at Derek, the alpha shakes his head and goes back to eating his ravioli.

Most of the evening is idle talk after that until John asking Derek what he plans to do now that he's an alpha again.

"Dad," Stiles groans and rubs a hand down his face. "Give the guy a break-"

"I think it's important as the sheriff for me to know if we'll be having any new werewolves bitten anytime soon."

"Okay but-"

"I'm not making a pack," Derek interrupts Stiles which makes him abruptly look to the older werewolf.

"What?"

Derek swallows, looks away, "I've been thinking and I don't think I'll bite anyone."

"Der-"

"I think that's smart," John nods. "Those omegas, they're that way because they didn't have an alpha?"

"Yes," Derek says, ignoring that dumbfounded look Stiles is shooting him. "Some choose to leave, others are left but some, it just happens."

"Do you plan to take some in then?" John looks very interested but Derek can see Stiles flailing from the corner of his eye, he smells like confusion and annoyance.

"I don't know," Derek admits.

Stiles catches a strong scent, the one he'd smelt back the barn at Gregory's that he'd assumed was grief, he wonders if the talk of being an alpha again has him thinking of Erica and Boyd. Suddenly, Stiles doesn't like that his dad is asking all these questions.

"So," he says loudly to interrupt, "Anyone ready for dessert?"

He collects plates without an answer, speaks before Derek can say no, "Tonight is my dad's only cheat night while I'm home."

"We're having cake," John smiles. "Three slices each."

"One," Stiles narrows his eyes as he grabs his dads plate.

"Two," his dad bargains.

"Fine but only because Derek is here," he nods his head towards the alpha.

The evening ends all to soon and Stiles follows Derek out to his car, tense and hoping tonight wasn't as weird to Derek as it was to him, he doesn't know why.

"Thank you," Derek says but it's tight and Stiles kind of wants to laugh because he probably doesn't say that much.

"Um," he stops the older male, realizing he had yet to say it himself. "Actually I uh, I should be thanking you. For...well, for saving my life, for coming to find me."

"Stiles, we're pack."

"We still are," he suddenly needs to know, needs to know to a point it almost burns. "Aren't we?"

"Scott is your alpha-"

"Okay but he isn't like kicking you out, you're still in our weird group of misfits."

Derek grins at that, "Okay."

"So you know," Stiles shoves him a little but Derek doesn't budge. "Don't go disappearing on us."

"Okay," Derek says again before he's loading up into his car with leftovers Stiles dad made him take and then driving away.

_Weird_ , Stiles thinks, _so weird_.


	6. Restless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was stupid hard for me, for no reason at all by the way but it went in such a different direction and I don't understand but it does lead to other chapters I have written so I suppose that's a plus. Also, I'm thinking somewhere between 15-20 chapters for this story but I'm not set on that yet, okay? Anyway thank you all for the love and appreciation of my story especially when I feel I've written it kind of poorly. You all are amazing beings! Hope you enjoy.

Derek could not sleep, when he did it was restless hours of tossing and turning, dresms that plagued him of his long passed betas, he hadn't dreamt of them in so long it was almost surprising now that he did. He'd wake sweating, panting and feeling the phantom pull from Boyd and Erica and once it happened to many times he gave up sleeping and started running. Four AM would find him deep in the preserve, running full speed, bounding across logs and attempting to wear himself out. It never worked but he tried, starting earlier and earlier every few days.

Two weeks before the full moon and just passed midnight he was lacing up his sneakers when his phone buzzed. At first he doesn't think to check, it's late and nobody messages him around this time but then, _nobody messages him around this time_ and he wonders what happened.

Stiles says, _Can't sleep, is it the moon?_ Derek texts back a quick _Yes_ and then wonders why Stiles didn't just text Scott or almost anyone else in the pack about this. It's not surprising to hear from him though, Stiles has always messaged him since Derek returned from hunting Kate down a couple years ago, it's just that the born wolf figured the boy would text his alpha.

_Will that ever go away?_ he asks in his next message, quickly followed by _I already don't sleep as it is_. Derek sits down on the end of his bed and debates with himself a full two minutes before he dials Stiles number.

"The first couple full moons will rile you up, Scott should take you out, help you burn off some of the energy," Derek says immediately when Stiles answers.

"He's been trying," Stiles says and there's a rustle from the other end of the line, like he's adjusting himself in bed.

"Once you learn control," Derek sighs, lays back, "It won't be this hard, you'll be able to sleep easier."

"God you sound like Scott, "Control this, control that, control control control". Aren't wolves nocturnal?" Stiles hisses. Derek fights himself not to chuckle at how frustrated the younger male sounds and he can picture Scott, rambling on about control and Stiles getting annoyed. "I taught him, I don't know why he keeps acting like I haven't been involved since day one. I know I have to learn control."

"He's just doing what alphas-"

"Dear God, please shut up with that, I liked you better when you threw me into walls."

He can hear Stiles roll his eyes and Derek grins, "You liked being thrown into walls?"

"Oh my God, you aren't even helping me!"

"I'll talk to Scott," the sentiment of doing so feels bitter rolling off his tongue.

Stiles groans, "What good-"

"Maybe something my mother used to use for training will help."

Derek wishes Laura could be here, knows she'd have know what to do, known what to say to help. He's so caught up in his thoughts it takes a moment to realize Stiles has gone silent, the wolf can't even pick up on his breathing.

"Stiles?"

"Yeah," he stutters. "Yeah, I'm..." a low sigh, he sounds broken to Derek's ear. "I'm here man."

"You all right?"

"Derek," Stiles starts, his voice riding up like he's prepared a speech, he quiets as he trails on however. "I'm sorry, I don't know if I ever actually said it, sorry? About your family? About-"

Derek can hear the click in his throat as he swallows and it makes something in his chest tighten.

"About Laura, going out like I did, me and Scott that night. I'm sorry man."

Derek reiterates he'll speak to Scott before hanging up the phone, he doesn't talk about Laura and he hadn't really thought about it in a long time. He can remember finding her dug up not long after he'd buried her and when he'd been arrested he was much more upset about that then the actual handcuffs & patrol car but Stiles had still shown up. He had a habit of showing up where he wasn't wanted until eventually, he was just a large piece of your life. Derek knew better then a lot of people, in fact the only other person who probably knew just as well was Lydia. He didn't mind, not anymore.

Of course this realization was had with Cora on the phone and she had laughed and laughed.

"Why is it funny," Derek grumbled hours after he had hung up on Stiles.

"Nothing to worry about right now Derek," she said with a breath. "Just try to help him, he's the oldest turned so far, in the pack. I remember mom saying that teenagers were easier but I can't remember why."

"Hormones and changes in the body," Derek told her and sighed. Cora had only just started talking about their parents again, she still hadn't been able to talk about Laura and Derek knew she was still holding tight to hating Peter for what he did. Cora had been close to Laura before the fire and Derek knew when she'd come back to Beacon to find out she had to lose her all over that she hadn't dealt well with it. He hadn't known what to say then and still didn't know now because losing Laura had hurt him even more then the fire because for a time, he'd had her all to himself.

Laura hadn't blamed him, though he'd constantly argued she should, Derek knew in the beginning when he'd told her about Kate that some part of her was angry with him but she'd fought herself tooth and nail to make sure Derek didn't see it, even when he could smell it on her she'd tell him she loved him and her heart beat never faltered when she said it. For awhile that had been funny because Derek could remember her torturing him about her future alpha status and him getting her busted all the time for sneaking out. They'd hated each other as teenagers, until they were all they had left and even then, they'd had their bad days, Derek had ran off when he turned 18 and Laura spent a year trying to hunt him down and drag him back. Laura was special and Derek really wished Cora had her, instead of him even.

"Derek," Cora calls out and he manages to make a humming sound to confirm he's still there. "Stop thinking, I hear the gears in your head grinding."

He rolls his eyes with fondness but he wonders how Cora would react to Kate, would she still love him as Laura had? Would she scorn him the way she did when he didn't become the Hale Alpha she expected to find when she came to California? He didn't think he could tell her, he couldn't really tell anyone, he'd barely had it in him to tell Laura when he did.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping," he jest. Her sigh is so much like Laura's, all exasperation and adoration and it makes Derek ache a little, he loves her but he can't really say so because the words are to often stuck on his thick tongue and dried out mouth when the thought arises. He knows he's a bit of a coward when it comes to her but she's what's left and if she asked, he'd find a way to jump off the face of the earth.

"Shut up old man," she laughs and then tells him good night.

Derek thinks this is how Laura must have felt about him and it makes sense why she'd want to chase him for a year, why she would try so hard to forgive him because anything Cora did he knows he'd forgive. He still thinks that Laura should have left him, Cora deserves the love but Derek... he couldn't even bring back his packmate unharmed.

  
Stiles can't help the empty hole that burrows into his stomach when Derek hangs up, he knows he's upset the alpha and that makes him want to roll over. Okay, so he understands now why dog jokes aren't funny but he isn't going to stop make them okay! He's just not because when the others get flustered it's kind of funny.

He rolls out of bed, not able to sleep at this point and heads downstairs, digs around the fridge for something edible and maybe a little bit bloody but he refuses to think about that. He thinks he should text Scott, invite him over and maybe get some more one on one alpha time before he has to start training with the pack but he just... he's not feeling the need. The idea kind of makes him sad but his dad, bless him, has heard him down here and comes in the kitchen half asleep.

"Is that steak?" he says, rubbing his eyes but stops halfway to the fridge and really eyes Stiles plate. "Is that cooked?"

"I resent that!" Stiles cries, some steak sauce dribbling down his chin. "I am not an animal!"

The sheriff smirks, "Hate to break it to you son but you now turn a little furry under the moon."

"Jokes? Now you have jokes?" Stiles flails as his dad starts the coffee pot then heads for the stairs, probably to shower but he's laughing the whole way. "Since when are there jokes!? It wasn't funny when I was a fox!"

His dad is still laughing in the bathroom, Stiles knows because he practiced his hearing just for that knowledge and a little bit of him feels uncomfortable but the fact his dad will laugh about it warms him.

They spend breakfast together, far to early and much more unhealthy then Stiles would like but it's nice being with his old man again.

"You should start coming up on weekends," John suggests and Stiles rolls his eyes.

"It's a three hour drive."

"You could probably run it in two."

He gapes, his dad is entirely nonchalant in his suggestion that his newly turned son run across the state just to spend weekends home.

"Maybe," he says slyly. "Plus if I'm here every weekend I could really keep up on your intake of red meats."  
  
"Then again," his dad grabs their empty plates and rises up. "It's best for you to experience the world, be an adult, all that."

It feels easy, being home and his dad being okay with it, feels easy that Scott is happy and excited, easy that the pack is preparing to help him. It's easy, except that it's not and he wishes that Erica were here because he knows they'd get into a good wrestle now that he could take her. He doesn't know what makes him long for her but somehow, the rest of Scott's pack, his pack, just cannot fill her shoes.

In the late afternoon when Stiles is restless and eager to move, about ready to call Scott and go run or do something he's surprised to open his door to Chris Argent.

"I heard what happened," he says once Stiles has invited him inside. "How are you doing?"

Stiles eyes narrow, "Why?"

"Stiles, you know I'm retired, after Kate-"

"Then how did you find out?" he crosses his arms, leans away a bit.

"Isaac and I still keep in touch," the older man admits and Stiles is honestly not surprised. "I'm here in case you needed help."

For Allison, Stiles thinks because he knows without a doubt Allison would have been there for him, she'd loved Scott far to much and she was part of the pack.

"I'm fine," Stiles lies because he can, because Chris is not a werewolf and it's simple. He lies because he doesn't feel right telling him the truth, something deep inside makes him wants to have Chris leave.

"How's Scott handling it?"

"He's happy, excited."

"Can't say I'm surprised, the two of you were always within feet of each other."

Stiles hears an accusation but he doesn't acknowledge it, fights the urge to bristle and growl, Chris hasn't felt like a threat in many, many years but right now, standing in his house Stiles feels hostile.

"Yeah well, here we are and I'm fine so you should probably be on your way, see Isaac or whatever," he waves him off. Somehow though, as the words tumble out, he wants to take them back, doesn't completely like the idea of Chris seeing the beta but his only concern right now is that Chris leave.

"Listen-"

He smells Scott just as the alpha knocks on the door and he's thankful and on edge when he rushes over and swings it open, all smiles.

"Hey man, just in time," he let's his eyes flicker in Chris's direction and Scott, thankfully has improved instincts and moves passed him and right over to the ex hunter.

"What're you doing here," Scott nearly demands, Stiles figures he must smell the tension in the air because he's put himself between him and the older man. It doesn't put Stiles at ease the way he thought it might, he has an urge to snap at Scott because he could protect himself. The whole thing is confusing, twisted and Stiles wishes he felt like Scott was defending him but he doesn't, it doesn't feel like anything other then a threat.

"I was checking in on Stiles," Chris tells him, makes an obvious point to keep his hands visible.

"We don't need you to check in, Stiles is fine."

"Pretty sure Stiles can still speak for himself," Stiles grumbles behind him. Scott flashes an annoyed look but doesn't say a thing before turning back to Chris.

"I'll go," the ex hunter nods and makes for the door. Scott's eyes follow him, his body rigid in his movements even long after the man has bid his farewell.

"You all right man," Scott asks in his normal, happy sounding voice as he turns to Stiles. The new beta feels angry and lashes out, "I'm fine Scott," he barks.

Scott looks taken back but Stiles can't seem to process his own behavior and storms off, through the kitchen and his backdoor. He paces the yard, from one end of the fence to the other and back several times before Scott steps out, confusion written all over his face. It makes Stiles feel more frustrated though because Scott is supposed to his alpha, right? He's supposed to fix things, Stiles shouldn't have to do the work anymore. Or maybe.... Maybe he just wants an excuse to be mad because he can't find one, can't understand why he feels hostile when he's never felt this strongly against him before. He's been mad, of course, everyone has been mad at their best friend before, he's been disappointed and upset, hell he's had at least one moment where he thought he hated him, was so angry but at least, at least then he'd had a reason. There was passion. But this, this blind fury without understanding, it has to be the worst ever.

"Stiles?"

Being a werewolf should have been easy for him, he was there for everyone else, he'd worked hard to help them so this should be simple, he should know what to do.

"Come on bro, let's go out to the preserve, go run or chase something down?"

Stiles cracks, Scott hasn't made a joke like that since becoming a wolf and it's funny, it's funny because he kind of wants to run and chase things and Scott is grinning all goofy and man, he really does love him.

"Let's go," he cheers and Scott throws an arm around his shoulders once Stiles is close enough. They don't take Roscoe or Scott's bike, Stiles finally gets to test himself and they run, careful to bolt through backyards and emptier streets, the treeline feels like a door to heaven once Stiles can smell the leaves and the dirt, the wild.

  
Derek feels groggy, sluggish as he comes to, he'd sat down to read a bit and must have fallen asleep because his book is lying on the floor and his body feels like its in a weird position, he should go to his bed but then he just catches Liam's scent and bolts up. The young beta has barely opened the door and looks scared, Derek feels his shift recede and the kid eases up but barely.

"What're you doing here?" he asks and Liam swallows hard, Derek already doesn't like this.

"We can't find Stiles."

Derek moves closer, takes in his scent and its earth and air and his shoes are dirty, hair a mess. "The preserve?"

"Yes," he says and his eyes flick over, likes he wants to go.

"He'll be fine," Derek tells him and moves back towards the couch. It'd been a few days since he last spoke to the new wolf and it hadn't sat right in his stomach but he didn't know how to reach out and he knew Stiles was waiting for him to.

"Derek," Liam rushes, grabs his arms. "He's been gone a few days."

This grabs the Alpha's attention, and he starts grilling the young werewolf who says he and Scott went running and Stiles had taken off and Scott couldn't find him so the pack had gone out and none of them could find him either. His scent is seemingly gone, none of his usual anxiety and tension. Derek wants to ask why no one said anything sooner but he growls where the words won't come out and then he's snatching up his phone and calling Scott.

"Derek, is Stiles with you?" Scott says as a greeting.

"No, but Liam is here."

"We need your help man," Scott sighs. "He just-"

"Why didn't you get me two days ago," he hisses.

"I wasn't thinking," Scott snaps. "My best friend is gone!"

Derek almost wants to be petty enough to mention how Scott forgot about him back in high school but he knows Stiles has moved on from that, doesn't blame him. The thought irks Derek more now then ever, that anyone could just forget him and that he'd so easily accept it the way he had.

"I'm heading out-"

"There's no scent Dere-"

"I don't need a scent to track him."


	7. Start It Up

The pack was right, Stiles scent is faint at the treeline and gone a mile in yet Derek can see where he continued to run, it's a little difficult at first because the others have trampled over it but he follows until he finds where they lost him. Scott had said he took Stiles out because he was acting cagey, tense and snapping at him but that as soon as they arrived Stiles bolted and Scott couldn't keep up. It doesn't make sense, not really because Scott as an alpha should have been able to easily out run his beta. The pack says they were all over the Preserve, calling for him, looking for a scent but the Preserve is larger than even they could circle completely without missing him. 

 

Derek moves fast for a few hours, following foot prints and broken branches, the occasional disturbed, new trails made before he slows, breathes in real deep. The scent is different, lacks something he can't quite pin point but he knows, just knows that its Stiles. He follows and the stronger this different scent gets, the more his mind begins to wander, he thinks of the way his home had smelt like home even though it'd been burnt. He wonders what could make Stiles smell this differently. 

 

He comes to a cliff, not a ravine they could easily bank but a cliff with a straight drop, a few hundred feet and Stiles scent is gone. Derek has a moment where panic rises in his stomach, up his throat. Could he have fallen? Not realized as he ran? Stiles was rather clumsy on the best of days, one only knew what would happen to him at super human speed. Derek wants to howl, all sorrow like he's lost another beta but Stiles isn't his and he doesn't know that he's actually gone and then he sees it, the ledge only a few feet down and several feet over. Fresh looking sneaker tracks are embedded and Derek drops down to it easily and follows. It wraps around the cliff and back up, passed the heavy cluster of trees and wildlife and comes to a clearing, it's all green grass and a spring of water and there, in the middle, sits a skinny, dark-haired man. 

 

He doesn't look injured or threatened but Derek moves slowly, afraid of what he'll find, he's holding his breath even. When Stiles turns to him his eyes are shiny, bright and he smiles at Derek and that's when the alpha inhales sharply. 

 

"Hey Derek," he says casually like the older wolf hasn't been all over this forest for hours, like he wasn't just terrified that he was dead, like Stiles' just been waiting here for him to show up. "So I got lost," he laughs, when Derek says nothing, rubbing at the back of his head as the grin on his face spreads. 

 

"Lost?" Derek says questionably and crosses his arms, raises his eyebrows. 

 

"I got over excited," he smirks and Derek rolls his eyes. "Next thing I know, I'm off a cliff and find all this," he gestures at the space around them and Derek shakes his head, moves closer. 

 

"You know your senses should be able to find Scott easily," he tells him and plops next to him. "Something about alphas, your alpha is always easy to find unless they don't want to be."

 

Stiles looks away, looks confused and kind of hurt and Derek really doesn't understand but something else is burrowing in the back of his mind. 

 

"You don't smell the same," he admits. Stiles eyes snap back over to him, glowing golden and curious and Derek feels something swell in his chest at the sight but he shakes it off, tries not to dwell. 

 

"I haven't taken adderall since being turned, could that be it?"

 

"You stopped taking your medication?" Derek's brows draw together. 

 

"I figured I didn't need it, Scott didn't need his inhaler soooo," he shrugs and draws his knees up. 

 

"It's not that," Derek passes over this conversation, wonders if Scott knows or if he suggested it. "You smell more... _you_ "

 

"More me? Is that even a thing," he looks dubious and barrels through. "How does someone smell more "them"? I mean don't we already smell like us, how could you actually smell  _more_ you? And if that's it wouldn't that be because I'm not taking the medication? Because Scott used to tell me I smelled like medicine, like something foreign or unnatural which is really funny since he was a werewolf and isn't that kind  of-" he stops entirely, eyes going big and flicking quickly to Derek. The alpha isn't looking at him anymore but feels his gaze, he remembers the way hunters had called him an abomination as they had him strung up and tortured. He swallows. 

 

"Derek," Stiles calls, shifts to face him a little better. "I didn't mean it like that I um, I just, I-" he sighs, really resigned and pulls into himself. "I don't want you mad at me again," he whispers and that catches Derek's attention. 

 

"Again?"

 

"When I brought up, well, you know, you haven't talked to me since and I know we weren't like best friends but I kind of, I don't know," he shakes his head. 

 

Derek huffs, throws his head back a little, he doesn't want to talk about it. "Laura isn't easy to talk about, it wasn't you."

 

"Do you ever- No, never mind-"

 

"What Stiles," the alpha sighs. 

 

"Do you talk about her to Cora?"

 

He wants to, he thinks, he wants to tell Cora stories of times when they weren't fighting to survive because they had had them, even if he was still busy punishing himself. He thinks about the time she tried to convince him they needed a dog, they'd been in New York for a year and she was trying, really trying to make it feel homey. Derek had rolled his eyes, told her dogs didn't mesh well with werewolves but she'd been convinced if they got a puppy it could adapt. He'd let her drag him down to the SPCA only to watch her hope die when the entire place went berserk over their presence. He'd felt kind of bad as she was silent on the way home until they came across a dog who happily bounded up to them and slobbered all over Laura. When the owner came jogging up apologizing he'd told them that he'd been born with a hole in his nasal cavity and the surgery had left him unable to smell so he was twice as friendly because he didn't know how to make friends by scent the way other dogs had. Laura dated him for almost half a year, she'd wanted to tell him about them but his job relocated. They're break up had been mutual and up until the day she left to come back here, as far as Derek knew they'd kept in touch via email. Thinking about it, he doesn't know she hadn't told him about them. 

 

"No," he tells Stiles. "She's never asked."

 

"Maybe she's waiting for you to bring it up."

 

He suddenly smells like sadness, like hurt and loss, the scent is stale out here in the fresh air and new grass and Derek wonders what he's thinking of, what makes that scent so strong on him. They don't talk much more after that, chosing instead to sit in silence until Derek thinks about Scott and his pack and worrying over him. He leads Stiles back, across the ledge and up the cliff but they don't move fast. Somewhere around an hour later, when Derek's phone picks up signal he texts Scott that he's found him, he doesn't wait for the reply however and pockets his phone. 

 

Stiles starts to shift uncomfortably a bit later, his face is a little flush and Derek knows he has nowhere near pushed any limits for that so he waits for Stiles to speak up about whatever is on his mind. It doesn't take long. 

 

"I ate a bunny," he admits, dejectedly. Derek has to force every ounce of self-control up to not laugh because Stiles looks absolutely wrecked at the admittance, going so far as to hang his head in shame. 

 

"A b-bunny," Derek questions but he can hear the skip caused by holding down his snicker. 

 

"Yes Derek! A bunny! A poor, innocent, unsuspecting bunny! I ate him!" He flails his arms about, then slaps his hands across his eyes. 

 

"Is that really why you didn't come back?" And he fails to hold it in anymore and smiles, laughter obvious in his voice. Stiles flashes him a death glare. 

 

"It isn't funny," he snaps. 

 

"At least it wasn't a squirrel," Derek shrugs. 

 

"Did you eat a squirrel?" Stiles asks and his voice is all hopeful. 

 

"No," Derek grins when Stiles shoulders slump. "But I never got lost either."

 

"Well excuse me Mr. Perfect-I'm-a-born-wolf, not all of us came from generations of wolves and grew naturally in this world."

 

Stiles sarcasm is bland sometimes but Derek still laughs and he doesn't tell him about the time he did, in fact, get lost when Laura dragged him out to a part of the woods he didn't know and he somehow forgot he had super senses, it'd taken him six hours to realize. He'd made her life hell for a week after that, she'd been twelve and Derek ten. They're mother deemed it the 'week to not speak of'. 

 

Scott is a little extra when he's worried but the pack and the scenting and smothering Stiles is just a bit to far, or so Stiles feels. He tries to play cool of course, tries to let them get their fill but after just a few moments of Scott with his hand on his neck and Liam pressed into his side, Stiles kind of has the urge to bite. The only one who doesn't make him completely irritable and uncomfortable is oddly enough, Isaac. He touches Stiles shoulder once and backs off and when the scent fades beneath the others, Stiles feels it like a loss. Derek had left long after he'd gotten Stiles home, hadn't said anything to him as he walked out though and that, that bothered Stiles the most. He thought they'd had a nice bond going out there in the Preserve so it was disappointing that Derek obviously didn't feel the same. 

 

Even more strange, the whole thing makes him think of Boyd, the day he'd died and how destroyed Derek had been. Boyd was a good werewolf, Stiles knows Derek had the biggest soft spot for him, a kid whose family didn't acknowledge him and Derek had made him his second, made him important. The thoughts leave that empty longing in his stomach, the way thoughts of Erica had and Stiles doesn't know what to do with himself. 

 

Scott sticks around after the pack leaves, orders Chinese and talks about John, how it took convincing to get him to not send all the station down into the woods to hunt Stiles. He's grateful, really but doesn't express it beyond a nod of his head. Scott keeps eyeing him afterwards, tries to talk about school and who Stiles hangs around with there. 

 

"No one, really, I mean I had friends from classes and I met a couple of supernaturals but I don't know," he huffs and leans back into the couch. "Can't be friends with normal people because I'd never be able to talk about common stuff. Like hey, I went to this sick game back in my senior year and I'm like yeah? I was still having nightmares from being possessed by a fox."

 

"Our life is kind of wild," Scott tries to laugh it off. 

 

"Did you know most supernaturals have heard of us? Because they have and if they aren't scared, then they're pissed off for one reason or another. It's exhausting trying to figure which."

 

"You'll finish soon at least, I mean once you go back."

 

It isn't comforting to Stiles the way Scott likely assumes it is, sure he'll finish and then what? Come back? Because it's that or he goes out into the world alone and it's the same as college, normal people can't be involved and everyone involved already likely hates him, distrusts him. Add on his new status in the super natural world and he knows he already has enemies he hasn't met yet, hunters who don't know he exists but already want him dead. Nothing in his life can ever really be the same at this point. 

 

Shortly before the full moon is meant to appear, Stiles gets his first training with the pack, Scott had pushed it for a week before he finally caved in. Isaac is there but he's standoffish, won't participate with them and Kira lingers around watching, redirecting Malia when she slips or snaps, goes a little wild. Scott doesn't say much to her, watches his young beta fight with the other and tells them Stiles will go up next. Kira does end up next to him while Scott attempts to show Liam and Theo how to block more appropriately. 

 

"He's getting better at this," she tells him and Stiles barely manages to not roll his eyes because Scott still isn't leading them, he's more just badgering a misbehaved child. 

 

"Why aren't you over there? Kicking all their asses?"

 

The Kitsune smiles, something predatory and Stiles is honestly a little freaked out, Kira used to be the quiet, shy one and he hasn't spent any time with her since her return but there's something different now, stronger. He wants to know about everything that happened while she was gone but even Scott told him she won't talk about it. 

 

"Training for me is different than for them," she ends up saying. "How are you holding up?"

 

_There's a question_ , Stiles thinks because if he were honest he doesn't really know, he's on an emotional roller coaster half the time. One minute feels fine, okay and like he can eventually feel at home in his new skin so to speak but then...there are the nights when he feels irritable for no explainable reason, his skin hot and itchy and unbearable but nonremovable. Those nights he hates what he is. 

 

"Stiles," Scott calls before he can answer the Kitsune. "You and Liam spar." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this is going somewhere, don't shoot me!!


	8. Roscoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My warning for you lovelies: anxiety, violence, blood. End notes explain more if you need to skip.

Since learning to control himself Liam has taken on a softer edge, he doesn't fight with full force, something Stiles only picks up the second time Liam manages to strike him. He could have easily taken a piece of the newer werewolf but instead his claws barely graze his side and Stiles healing is so rapid he hardly has time to feel it. The lack of attempt almost angers him and without meaning to Stiles slams himself into the younger wolf, allowing the shear force of his body to take them both down where he manages several hard, bone cracking blows before Scott and Malia are ripping him away. He can feel his elongated teeth, feel the extra facial hair and assumes his claws are out. He's wild and uncaring, strikes a blow hard enough to send the Coyote back a few feet but its only when he has the Alpha pinned that he finds conscious thought again.

Scott's eyes are glowing, an angry scowl is on his face but he isn't fighting Stiles off of him, the Beta has his claws pressing into his throat and the tiny trickle of blood is what snaps him out of it completely. Stiles falls back unceremoniously before gazing around himself, the Beta's and other pack members are staring at him, confusion soaking their features. He isn't sure what happened, isn't sure why Liam going so easy set him off. It's understandable why he wouldn't put his all in when Stiles is only training for the first time.

"Stiles?" Scott is on his feet, hands out, palms flat like he's shushing a spooked animal at Deaton's. "It's okay, it's-"

Stiles bolts.

The air is thick in his lungs, he feels light headed and he begins to wonder why Derek wasn't there, it would have been valuable to have him teaching them, no one there but Kira had any formal training and even hers is new. Derek would have been able to pick up Stiles change in emotion, could have stopped him before he'd done something. Suddenly he's angry with Scott, feels an irrational sense of betrayal that the twice Alpha wasn't invited. He only manages to make it to the tree line, panting and huffing and knows his eyes glow brightly even in the daylight. Beacon Hills is quiet and near the city line is practically vacant but Stiles still feels choked up, he didn't think being a wolf would be this difficult.

  
It's a Friday when Derek decides to get Stiles jeep for him, Derek knows as well as anybody that Stiles loves his jeep. Isaac winds up tagging along to drive the Camaro back, which Derek is very skeptical about and wonders half way there why he didn't bring what Stiles referred to as his "Soccer Mom" car. Gregory had the jeep towed to his place and as promised, it's parked right out front of the main home.

"How is the new wolf," Gregory asks, as he meets Derek and Isaac on the porch.

"He's having a hard time connecting to his alpha," Derek admits, half hoping the man will have some advice.

"It can be difficult for some," he says.

The older alpha pauses half way through their walk towards Stiles jeep, turns to Derek. "Have you considered Willow's offer at all?"

"I appreciate it," Derek sighs, nods a little and glances to Isaac, who has his head down but fidgets in annoyance. The corner of Derek's mouth quirks. "I think I need to stay in Beacon Hills though."

"Wherever the heart calls," Gregory smiles but Derek feels a sense of suspicion for the first time for him.

"Did you locate that alphas pack?"

"No," Gregory shakes his head as they pick up walking again. "I don't believe they made a home here, the scents are all over the place and then disappear."

"Let me know," Derek reminds him, like he has to be sure of this and Gregory agrees and hands over Stiles keys. Nothing more is said and Gregory makes a quiet leave and heads back up his long driveway.

When Derek is alone with Isaac again the younger male leans in and asks, "What offer?"

Derek watches Gregory from the distance as he meets up with Willow at the front door, she spots Derek and waves, a predatory grin on her lips. Isaac's eyebrow lifts quizzically and Derek shakes his head, "They offered me space in their territory."

"You don't want to?"

Derek doesn't know how to answer and Isaac must pick up on it because he quickly changes the subject. "So Willow-"

"Don't," Derek growls and opens the drivers door of Roscoe. His senses are assaulted immediately, the smell of anxiety, fear, anger, and then blood hit him like a ton of bricks. He can't help the way his eyes flash when the scent of the alpha follows, blood stains the steering wheel in distinct prints of a hand and there's some that had dripped onto the seat and Derek wants to rip it all out.

"We'll clean it," Isaac suddenly says and grips his shoulder, Derek can feel how tense his own muscles are but Isaac's hand is a welcome, warm pressure. "Drive with the windows down and we'll stop somewhere and clean it all out, he doesn't have to see it."

Derek nods but he can hear himself breathing heavily through his nose and he's gripping the door hard enough that the metal creaks.

"I'll drive it," Isaac abruptly says and carefully peels the alphas hand away, manages to get the keys. "It's okay."

They stop an hour out of Beacon Hills and the jeep smells less like Stiles anxiety when Derek forces himself to get close again but every time he tries to help Isaac scrub off the blood his eyes glow and his fangs threaten to drop. He has to stay back and Isaac watches him carefully, eyes him like his behavior is odd and it is but Derek can't help himself. He thinks about that night, seeing the fear and hurt in Stiles eyes, the way the alpha had taunted and teased, knowing exactly what he was doing. Derek growls low.

The smell is almost non existent by the time they've finished cleaning the jeep out and scrubbing it down, once Stiles blood was gone Derek started vacuuming and Isaac nodded because the beta understood. Derek drives it from there but his skin feels tight, hotter then usual and like any moment he'll shred his human skin and stretch out on four legs. He thinks now, that he wishes he'd killed the alpha slowly, made him suffer. The way Stiles clearly had to have.

Stiles had been missing a week, Derek suddenly realizes but he'd only been in the industrial place a few days, he can't let himself imagine what the alpha had done before Stiles had managed to get away. The idea has his claws extending once more and he knows his eyes are glowing red.

  
Scott had it easy, Stiles find himself thinking bitterly, by his second full moon Scott had so much more control, it takes all of Stiles will power to settle down and walk home, to not flash his eyes or try to attack something. His sense feel overly alert, he swears he can smell his neighbors flower garden from four blocks over and that he can hear the dog next door whimpering in its sleep.

Stiles see's Derek first. His wolfie tension practically bleeds out of him and when Derek turns, that smile that's so rare spreading across his features at the eye contact with the younger male, Stiles wonders why he has the urge to barrel into him, get his hands somewhere on him. Before the thoughts can really simmer, he spots Roscoe in his driveway.

Stiles stops breathing.

He can see Derek's mouth moving from the corner of his eyes, knows he's probably talking to him, still smiling but all he can see is Roscoe. It's like feeling the pull of that alpha all over again..

  
"I'm not joining your pack," Stiles grits out as he keeps driving. The alpha sits in the passenger seat, smug as ever but he hasn't said a word in hours, Stiles doesn't even know where they're going but he hasn't stopped driving around, keeping near others and hoping this wolf is smart enough to not want to reveal them.

"All in time," he chuckles. "The call of Alpha is stronger then you seem to think."

Stiles can remember the way Peter had Scott going crazy, had him thinking he'd done some awful things, the way he tried to get him to do even more awful things. Scott had managed, Stiles could do this.

"Am I just going to drive around until I run out of gas or are you going to give me some kind of directions?"

The smug grin spreads across the other wolf again, all sharp teeth and sense of danger, Stiles manages a quick glance before his head is slammed into his steering wheel. He groans before he laughs and the sound of it causes the alpha to falter, shock apparent in his features.

"You should try being more creative, I was dealing with bullshit like yours long before you arrived buddy."

Derek hasn't been his awful, violent self in years and Stiles would laugh at him if he were here. He had a habit of not dealing with his emotions very well but over all this time he'd somehow made himself have a talk, first with Scott who he had apologized to for all the drama when Scott made him part of his pack. And then he'd showed up at Stiles, it'd been almost 2 in the morning and he'd stumbled around some 'I'm sorries' but if Stiles were honest, he'd forgiven Derek long before.

"Turn right," the alpha suddenly snaps. Stiles makes a left though because he knows where right leads and he's avoiding being alone. Of course the alpha cuts the engine and the jeep swerves before Stiles gets some control and pulls the emergency break. He has no time to think before the blow comes, he's never been hit so hard in his life and he's had Hunters attack him plenty over the years. His rapid healing doesn't sooth the ache fast enough before another hit comes and then another, his brain is a little offline and he only manages to block every other blow or so.

When its over, when the alpha is panting and there's blood dripping down Stiles face he realizes how quiet it is, the way his ears don't ring like the last time he'd been hit. He's pressed into his door, letting it support him as he runs a hand up over his face and the edge of his hairline, its sticky and wet and when he looks his palm is red. The soreness has already faded but there's an ache.

"I've had wolves like you before," the alpha straightens himself, fixes his appearance. "Talk to much, mouthed off, generally just like to make their own lives difficult. Do you know what I did, Stiles?"

His name is what makes his heart stutter in his chest, makes him sick and afraid.

"I made them bitches," the alpha grins.

Derek is aware of the way Stiles heart has kicked into overdrive, of the way he is holding his breath and he's approaching him slowly now that he's near enough but Stiles eyes are glazed and vision locked on where Roscoe sits. His reaction has Derek angry all over again, knows that the blood and all the other scents that were once in there have to do with this reaction. The wolf in him longs to attack but there's no actual threat around them but he can't help the irrational feelings.

"Stiles," he starts, calm as he can manage. Isaac is smart enough to stand back but Derek can hear his heart picking up too. "It's okay, you're safe."

The young guy is panting, his eyes keep turning yellow before he shakes a little and they return to their golden brown. Stiles hasn't had a panic attack in three years, Derek knows because on the mark of the day he'd texted him at 4 AM when he'd thought about it and it was one of the times Derek had easily replied. They'd texted back and forth until Stiles first class at 10.

"Breathe," he whispers, recalls the way Scott had talked him through one once. The other alpha had been much closer, had gotten his arm around him, pressed his palm to his chest, whispered for Stiles to breathe with him, focus on his voice, in and out. Derek says as much when he's close but Stiles eyes are still locked upon the jeep and before Derek is able to settle him Stiles shoves at him, storms passed Isaac and into his dads and slams the door. Derek can still hear his heart working overtime but knows this is his way of saying to leave him alone.

Derek takes Roscoe to the loft, parks him in the back and puts the keys up somewhere they won't be seen when walking in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stiles goes a little wild. Flashback to when he was with the alpha that bit him, he is beaten, there's blood. Stiles has a mild anxiety attack and Derek remembers one that happened some time ago.


	9. Don't Talk About It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this chapter right after posting the last and I ended up with several comments and I couldn't believe it! You all are the very best! And I'm posting two in one day woooooooo

"It makes sense," Scott huffs as he sits on Derek's couch, Isaac had retreated to the kitchen upon his arrival, Liam sits opposite him and Lydia is on Skype. "He's been so wound up, worse then I've seen."

"He hasn't talked to you about what happened?"

"He gave me the basics about what happened when you got there, about how he was bitten but he didn't talk about it for to long."

Derek narrows his eyes, knows without checking that Scott isn't lying but its still peculiar, why wouldn't Stiles talk to Scott? Derek wonders if they ever fully mended their friendship after their senior year.

"He was acting strange when we hung out," Lydia suddenly says causing all eyes to turn towards her. "I don't mean like the way Liam reacted when he was bitten either. Being in my car made him uncomfortable, he wouldn't stop shifting and I haven't seen him fidget so much since high school."

"It wasn't a lot of blood, not like it could have been," Isaac says as he scurries beyond the pack and nearest to Derek. They'd given them a basic idea of what the discovered inside of the jeep. "But it was the way it was, it was the smells."

"What smells," Scott's attention snaps to Derek.

"Fear, anxiety," he doesn't want to tell them what else. "The alpha."

Scott's eyes harden but he doesn't say a word.

"Has anyone asked him," Liam pipes up.

"He hasn't really talked to anyone since yesterday morning," Scott sighs. Derek goes rigid, Stiles had texted him hours after the incident, he'd said he was fine and that he appreciated that Derek took Roscoe, he didn't explain but had said he couldn't handle it right then.

"Has anyone actually bothered trying to talk to him," Lydia questions and the room falls silent. She groans, "I swear you've all become as emotionally constipated as Derek used to be."

He might resent that but she has a point, Scott used to rush to Stiles side with a grumping Isaac in tow but lately the pack has been at odds.

"Things have been complicated," Scott argues weakly.

"No, he's still Stiles, you're supposed to be his alpha Scott. Do something," with that Lydia ends the call. It's the way she had said 'supposed to' that causes Derek to feel a little uncomfortable, she didn't sound as though she were positive and that knots up his stomach.

"I'll go call him," Scott is already on his feet and digging out his phone, derek rolls his eyes.

"Maybe you should go to his house," Isaac suggests and boy, Derek can feel that tension. Scott's shoulders are tight as he nods and heads out the door, Liam sits awkwardly and glances between the door and Isaac before he looks at Derek who shakes his head.

Stiles leg bounces uncontrollably while he sits at the edge of his bed, staring in the direction of the floor but not actually seeing it. His dad had come in this morning to check on him, seen how upset Stiles had apparently looked and had sat down, trying to talk to him. He couldn't handle the way his dad worked up to the subject of werewolves, the way he skirted around certain subjects before finally asking Stiles if his agitation had to do with the full moon coming up.

How much Stiles wished it was only the moon, no one would ever know. He pulls his phone out, gets to Derek's name and presses _Message_ , he's asking if Derek knows any way to settle himself besides running when Scott pops up in his doorway.

"Hey man," he says and leans into the doorjam. "Wanna grab pizza and watch a movie?"

Pizza and movies used to be their thing, a few hours of videos games and maybe stopping by to make sure their parents ate during work but now it seems more like a chore. He agrees, however, because almost anything would be better then sitting here and letting his mind wander into a dangerous territory.

Scott talks a lot, especially when he thinks he's cheered Stiles up and that honestly makes his bones ache because once upon a time, they knew each other better then anyone else. Two pizzas and three movies in Scott finally gets the nerve to ask what Stiles knew he was going to.

"So about yesterday-"

"Scotty, my man, I really don't-"

"Derek told us you freaked about Roscoe," Scott's eyes are all sympathy.

Stiles is livid that Derek would open his mouth, the man used to not form anything but ominous messages when speaking to them and now he thinks its just okay to tell Scott things.

"Derek shouldn't have said anything," Stiles grits and shoves his hands under his thighs so he doesn't try to bury his claws in his palms.

"Come on Stiles, I'm your alpha," Scott turns to him. The words sink in uncomfortably and make Stiles brain pause, the word alpha swims around and he tries to focus on Scott but he... he just can't. "Stiles?"

_It's not supposed to feel this way_ , something inside of him screams, Scott is still talking as he gets up and Stiles hears something about water and kitchen and being back but he isn't paying attention. When Scott is out of sight, Stiles gets up and leaves, takes off the moment his feet touch the ground outside.

"I don't know why I'm here," Stiles sighs before leaning back and sliding down against the loft door. Derek hadn't expected Stiles to show up this way, hadn't realized it was him banging on his door but when he'd seen him, eyes downcast and the smell of frustration all around him he grew worried.

"Where's Scott?"

"Probably out looking for me," he wraps his arms around his legs. "I sort of ditched him while we were hanging out."

"Stiles-"

"It doesn't feel like I thought it would," he says into the fold of his arms.

"What doesn't," but Derek knows, he knows Stiles means Scott.

"I don't feel like..." he pants a little, nostrils flaring before shaking his head and looking away.

Derek's chest is tight, Stiles doesn't smell like Beta, he smells like Omega, unclaimed or unwanted by their alpha, resentment for Scott builds that he could ever do this to him. But Derek knows Scott wants Stiles, knows Scott would never let his best friend go and yet... it isn't Scott's choice really. A part of Derek's brain points out that Stiles is here, in Derek's loft and he's telling him he doesn't feel a connection to the other alpha, a part of his brain is shouting-

"It takes time," Derek grits out as calmly as possible, covers that voice faster then he thought possible. "You weren't bitten by him, it'll take you both time to accept each other."

"Scott raves to his mom and apparently my dad, that I'm his newest beta," Stiles sneers, an almost disgusted look on his face. "Why don't I feel it, Derek?"

"I don't know," Derek swallows, tries to keep his breathing normal because...because he doesn't know where this is coming from. Where these thoughts came from, why he's suddenly feeling this way.

"I have to be back at school by next semester, how can I go back without a pack?"

"Stiles," Derek walks closer to him but the smell turns him around and he sits on the couch instead. "Gregory is an ally, if you still can't accept Scott-"

"I don't want to be part of that pack-"

"Gregory will be around to watch out for you, put out word that you are claimed just distanced."

"Why did this part seem easier for everyone else?" Stiles eyes don't leave Derek as the alpha rises back up and its in that moment that he realizes that's why Stiles had smelt different in the woods, his scent is unclaimed and for Derek's alpha senses, it is overwhelming. He leans against a pillar, keeping some sort of distance between them.

"I bit Isaac, chased him off and he'd already attached to Scott so it wasn't a stretch. Scott bit Liam and if I remember," he smirks at the thought. "The kid wasn't to up for this whole thing."

"Once he was though he just accepted Scott and Malia-"

"Malia is like Scott, she won't accept an alpha, plus she isn't a wolf. Coyotes are different."

"Well Kira-"

"Kitsune."

"Jacks-"

"Turned into a giant lizard, is that really the best argument?" Derek can't help but smile, feels the stress leaving him.

Stiles grunts, "My point is, everyone either accepted their alpha or didn't get one. Why can't I feel it? And if that's the case why am I not feeling all," he waves his hands around. "Rebellious and 'I need no alpha' headstrong?"

"You've always had a pack-"

"Maybe I didn't," Stiles interrupts. A sudden spark of anger hits Derek in the stomach with how sure the young wolf sounds. "Maybe that's why I feel this way, maybe I never had a pack but now I can actually feel the disconnection."

Derek can't take the scent of sadness wafting off of him, Stiles deserves to be a beta, to be something more even. He walks up and extends his hand out, Stiles stares up at him, a question in his eyes. He can't explain these things, the feelings and why the smell is messing him up, he'd been around omegas last time he was an alpha and it had had no affect on him but this is Stiles and he can't let him sit here wallowing in the ideas he's building in his head.

"Come on," Derek grins. "Let's go for a run."

Surprisingly, Stiles breaks out into a grin himself and accepts the offered hand, a buzz of electricity shoots up Derek's arm, it takes all his willpower not to jerk away, not to react to it.

Running with Stiles is a whole new feeling though, its knowing he can easily keep up and leap across the bank that just fuels the fire Derek felt light up in his belly when they got deep into the preserve. He's pushing their limits though and Stiles isn't holding back, he keeps zipping passed the older male and leaping over trees like he was built for this life. Derek feels an innate sense of pride in the new wolf and not really thinking, he tackles Stiles to the ground sometime later. They roll for a bit, tussle and Stiles growls out a challenge, using his claws to prick into Derek's sides, not attempting to cause any real harm. They wrestle more for dominance before Stiles attempts to nip at Derek's collarbone and the alpha feels his instincts kick in. His eyes flash and he howls before he winds up pressing his fangs into Stiles jugular, he doesn't draw blood, just puts enough pressure to make a point. To his surprise though, Stiles goes limp, obedient and rolls his head back as if for a sign of submission.

Derek feels the whine in his throat before he's throwing himself back, eyes darting around them, like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't. The fire has extinguished and made space for a nauseating wave of guilt and fear. Stiles pushes up on his arms and cocks his head, eyes all deer like and curious but before he speaks, Derek's off again. Running makes it easier to shut off his brain, to kill the feeling that's digging somewhere inside of him. Stiles isn't far behind on his heels though and they make it to the treeline before doubling back. It takes them hours before their run subsides but Derek was careful to keep his distance until they end up in the loft once more, some of their energy burned off but neither of them talk about what happened. Derek is kind of glad for it though, he wouldn't know what to say. He doesn't even know what to think.

"You can crash here, it's late," he manages before rushing off for the shower. He absolutely doesn't think about it when Stiles takes one after, he just goes to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I'm finally getting up to my prewritten chapters so things should move quicker. I hope. Thank you for the love! You are absoluty amazing every single one of you! ❤❤


	10. Moor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, umm holy crap y'all! You are absolutely spectacular! All these comments?? What?? I'm blown away! My heart!!! ❤❤❤ I'll try to reply to everyone soon but goodness.   
> Second of all, this chapter did some interesting things, kind of like the way it turned out, it originally only started with the ending.

The full moon seems to hit everyone a little harder this time around so Scott takes the pack out to the preserve. Stiles could feel it all day, the anticipation and he begged Scott to lock him up but he'd refused; now he's standing in the middle with everyone, waiting for the clouds to clear and watching as each Werecreature stretches and bounces around. Kira sits calmly, hands clasped in front of her and eyes closed, she isn't the girl they knew and it almost bothers Stiles but other things weigh more heavily on his mind.

"Where's Derek," he asks the group though its more directly to Scott.

"He didn't wanna come, I don't know man, I think the alpha thing is messing him up," Scott sighs.

Stiles looks away but doesn't say anything, he's annoyed if he's honest because he feels like Scott could have convinced Derek to come if he really wanted him to but when he looks over he catches Scott putting his phone away again and he knows the alpha has been trying. Stiles doesn't know why it bothers him so much whenever this happens but he fully intends to have a conversation with Derek freaking Hale because they are supposed to be pack, dammit.

"Stiles?" Malia hasn't spoken to him much since he was turned but he wasn't surprised, since they're falling out in high school they hadn't exactly been friends. "Are sure you're ready?"

"Ready for what," he snaps and just catches as Scott's eyes flash at him.

"Tonight," she says with a surprisingly calm tone. Once they'd figured out how to teach her to full shift her entire demeanor had changed, she learned to like being human so long as she was able to run to the preserve and chase down a few rabbits while on four feet she was okay.

"It's just a full moon," Stiles shrugs one shoulder, hopes its more casual than it felt. Stiles was terrified but only Scott and Derek knew that and Derek only knew because Stiles had apparently told him on his first full moon of exactly what he was worried about it when he'd made him chain him up.

Stiles looks over at what is his pack, they're all shoving each other around at this point, practically dancing with grins plastered across their faces, he makes note that Isaac is off to the side, much quieter than he's seen him in years; he doesn't hesitate and plods over to him. Isaac has his arms resting atop his bent knees where he sits against a tree and he barely glances up at Stiles before looking back down at the grass.

"No roll and tussle for you tonight?" Stiles elbows his side lightly.

"I thought Derek would come," the blonde admits and something in Stiles chest constricts.

"Yeah," he sighs and leans back next to him. "Thought so too."

It's quiet between the two, only the russle of the other Were's around them, Stiles keeps fidgeting though, cracks his knuckles, feels his claws extend and fights to make them recede. He's gnawing on his lower lip and thinking about the fire that's burning low in his gut and how he just wants-

"Hey," Isaac's hand grips his softly, squeezes until Stiles looks over. Isaac flashes his eyes good naturedly, grins with a mouth of fangs and Stiles has the urge to pounce on him. "The moon is hard for awhile," the blonde still has a hold on him. "It's easier with an anchor."

"I know that," Stiles snaps.

"Then find yours," Isaac says with no hesitation.

"I..." Stiles holds his breath and looks away.

"It isn't easy, unless you know right away what it is, it isn't easy." Isaac releases him and runs a hand through his own hair. "Just... Find a good memory, something that-that makes you stay there, like if you could live in that moment you would."

Stiles knows Isaac is thinking of his dad, of who his dad used to be before he did those horrible things, he wonders how after all of that that he could let himself tie his humanity to that. It makes sense though, in a twisted way because despite how fucking awful he was treated, Isaac turned out to be the sweetest, most gentle of them all. He is his own humanity. Stiles doesn't know that he can find that though, can't imagine having something like that. His dad has been sheriff a long time and all that did was make Stiles sneaky, good at lying and hiding something like lycanthropy. He starts thinking about how his dad found out, the way he'd looked upon learning all the awful things his only son was a part of. Sure, they'd moved passed it but had his dad really? Or did he just try to ignore it? And if that was the case, how was he really reacting to Stiles being bitten? His original fears begin resurfacing faster then he can handle.

"Stiles?" Isaac's voice is muffled and barely audible, he can feel the other wolf shake him slightly but his body isn't registering what's happening. He knows without a doubt his eyes glow, his claws are out, he has to be shifted. "Stiles! Scott?"

Everything is blurry after so he just catches Scott come rushing over in his peripherals, the alpha is crouched before him and it's the last Stiles can really remember before he lunges forward.

Derek puts his phone on silent after Isaac texts, Scott wants him to come running with them but he can't, something feels off about the idea and Derek just hopes Stiles is able to handle it. He'd been thinking about it all week, Scott had called sometime ago and they'd discussed the idea, how they'd deal with the moon surging beneath their skin and their alpha power wanting dominance but Scott had been certain it'd be fine. Derek doesn't think so, Scott likes to get pushy when he's ampted up on full moons, tends to nip at everyone a little more and Derek doesn't know that he has control like that to not challenge him. It's almost funny to him now, considering the way he'd been the first time he'd had a go at this, he'd been so confident in the ideas in his head but that had been his mistake, he had not been ready for it at all.

Cora doesn't answer but Derek hadn't really expected her too, she's probably running with her pack right this moment. He misses her much more then he'd like to admit, its too hard after all they've had to endure to just get where they are at. Somehow though, thoughts of Cora lead him to Laura, likely because she looks so much like the big sister she never got to know. Derek's eyes begin to bleed red, the hurt and frustration so deep he can practically feel his whole body vibrating, he longs to stretch out on four legs, he usually only does so on full moons anyhow. He does swear to himself to stay away from where he knows the pack usually romps around though.

The moment his bones crack and his muscle pull in new directions he feels himself relax, gives a lazy stretch on his front paws. Learning to shift completely had been strenuous his first year, sure he'd made it look effortless back in Mexico all those years ago but Lord knows his first full moon trying had been utterly ridiculous. He will admit to no man that he'd whimpered from the pain, unable to concentrate on his healing as he shifted, the process had been difficult. After a dozen or so attempts he'd figured it out but he'd missed his mother, a thought that has him pushing to run harder now. She had never talked about her shift, Derek can remember a day when Cora was only just born and Laura had demanded answers, she'd smiled at them both and said it was a thing to be discussed at a later date.

Talia had a habit of doing that, now that Derek thinks of it, his mother liked to put off important talks for later, she had always thought there would be a later. Derek huffs into the dirt he'd had his snout pressed against when he realizes he definitely got that from her. Cora will be proud when he tells her he knows this now, proud and probably give him crap for weeks, months even. An hour has passed and Derek flops into a patch of green, he considers what Stiles said to him before and knows he needs to talk to Cora about their sister, even their mother and father, she had less of them then he did, he could at least give that to her.

He's nearly dozing when a howl cuts through the air, its a cry for help and Derek is sure that its Scott and shoots for the direction of it. It doesn't take long before the two are nearly colliding, Scott always pulls up short upon seeing him fully shifted though.

"Derek! Stiles freaked out," Scott growls in his partial shift. Derek fights the urge to roll his eyes, he'd told the other alpha his friend wasn't ready, Stiles had even said he wasn't. "I know what you're thinking," Scott snaps and Derek tilts his head. "I just thought if I was with him he'd be okay, I don't even know what happened. We didn't lost him though!"

Derek huffs, he really hopes that isn't Scott's best argument right now, all things considered.

"We need your help, we're trying to keep him in the preserve," Scott's eyes are normal and pleading. Derek growls a little at him, his way of saying what an idiot he his for this, why he thought after the last couple of incidents that Stiles could possibly be ready for this. "I know, I know."

Stiles is strong, he's brilliant and Derek thinks he should have it easy since he helped Scott figure it all out but he knows the omega thing has to be throwing his werewolf senses off kilter. He also knows, unlike the other alpha, that when your beta says they aren't ready, then you should listen. Derek pauses on the thought, can Scott scent the difference in omegas and betas? Has Stiles even figure it out yet?

When the alpha's catch up to the pack they've hearded Stiles in a direction away from civilization but its obviously not working so well since he's pushing back almost as hard as they fight. He's growling and snapping at everyone who gets near him but his eyes are calculating, watching and Derek can see even wild, Stiles brain works almost the same. He's going to give them the slip. Scott barrels forward, is calling out to his best friend, trying to coax him back, to coax him down and Derek can see exactly how that's going to go. Isaac looks to Derek in that moment and the alpha's heart kicks a little but he uses this to his advantage, giving a nod in the direction of the highway. Isaac easily slips away from the back of the line while Scott is practically begging, cooing almost, Derek thinks its ridiculous.

He's taking careful, quiet steps in the direction that Stiles eyes haven't shifted towards, deciding this is the way the wolf is about to charge in. Derek is passing trees keeping one ear trained on Scott's long ramble about brotherhood and how he can control himself, _breathe, you've got this_. He feels it the moment it happens though, the moment Scott is fed up with being challenged by an omega, even if its unknowingly and knows Scott flashes his eyes before he roars for submission. It won't work, Stiles doesn't view him as his alpha.

From what he can hear it chaos and then Liam is shouting about where he is, where he went. Derek can smell Stiles easily, moving silently in his direction and Derek moves quicker then he was and slams into Isaac. They tumble and Stiles goes barreling passed, Derek shifts quickly back to human.

"Call the sheriff, have him send Argent out here," he tells Isaac.

The call doesn't go well, John is telling them he's coming even after he's spoken to Chris and Derek has told him no, so he tells Isaac to meet the hunter and he shifts back and goes searching. Stiles veers away from town a few times, clearly trying to throw off the pack he assumed would be able to follow him. Chris and Isaac are to gather them and make a plan, in case Stiles needs to be caught for the night, something non painful, Derek hopes.

Turns out, he doesn't have to worry, Stiles is standing before him moments later, his eyes are glowing, claws ready at his sides and fangs protruding, he's panting and watching Derek like a hawk. The alpha knows how much of a risk it is that they're as close to town as they are. He can see city lights and knows the sheriff will be able to easily pull in here and that's Stiles biggest fear, that he'd hurt someone he loved but he was more petrified of that ending up being his father. So when the first sound of John's cruiser hits Derek's sensitive ears, he knows what he has to do and shifts back to two legs once again.

Stiles catches the sound seconds later and Derek throws himself at the boy, Stiles is quicker now and the claws of his right hand embed into Derek's sides. The alpha hisses but starts fighting to get the younger wolf away, back, deeper into the woods. Stiles howls, bites down into the alphas shoulder and shakes; Derek growls and yanks his head back by gripping the boys hair. When Stiles makes a pained whimper something in Derek cracks, he can't hurt him. Derek knows he and Stiles are friends but the boy doesn't love him so if Derek gets a little mangled then so be it because Stiles can live with that over hurting his dad.

The lights of John's car flash behind Derek through the trees and Stiles slams into him harder now, attempting to run that way but Derek won't let him. Stiles claws across his chest, his arm, when Derek reaches out to grab him, he can feel his body healing but the pain makes it harder. Stiles slashes are not shallow, even feral the guy knows on predatory instinct how to tear his prey apart.

"Stiles," Derek finally growls, eyes flashing when he nearly loses his grip on him. Stiles stills, panting. "Focus."

He growls out instead and attempts to slash at Derek's throat now, the alpha uses his command, telling him to stop. "You're angry," he hisses while Stiles attempts to struggle, fighting off the command. "Use it. Use your anger, think of the alpha that turned you."

Derek knows the sheriff is out of the car and is thankful he's staying back, probably scared of his sons animalistic behavior. "Think of the Nogitsune," he says quieter, catching the glowing gold eyes. "Think of everything that's been forced on you, why you fought so hard all this damn time. Focus!"

Stiles isn't fighting Derek now, looks more as though he's fighting himself, Derek keeps talking. Talks about the things they've done, the things they've had to do and slowly Stiles regresses. He doesn't shift back to human though, his fangs still poke his lips and his eyes keep glowing and the facial hair stays but he looks like he can comprehend Derek now.

"Use it," Derek breathes, slowly releasing his strong hold. "Use your anger, you are still human."

Warm, brown eyes scan Derek up and down before locking onto Derek's still red eyes. Stiles looks scared, less angry but he must be holding onto that.

"Son," John calls out, Derek hears him move a step towards them and let's his eyes bleed back to green, let's the question hang from them. Stiles nods, eyes downcast and Derek breathes out in relief.

"He's okay," Derek calls before he hears someone fast approaching, a whiff and he knows it's Scott.

"Stiles," he rushes over and then Derek is pushed away, back. He fights down the growl he feels at the intrusion. Scott is inspecting him but Stiles looks more agitated, Derek hopes he's just holding onto the anger still. "We're gonna go home, I'm gonna stay with you and we'll get through this," Scott tells him. Stiles only nods and let's himself be lead over to the sheriff and loaded into the cruiser.

Derek can still smell the anger wafting off the boy, he's about to leave when John stops him.

"Thank you," he says from his distance. "For not- For helping him."

Derek nods because he isn't sure what to say, he wouldn't have done anything else. He just wanted to make sure his pack- Derek sighs as he heads deeper into the treeline, having left the sheriff behind. Stiles wasn't his pack, he was an alpha now and until he took on betas, he didn't have a pack. He shifts to four legs once more and goes charging in deep, letting the moon take over his instincts for the remainder of the night. If Isaac joined him at some point, well, Derek wasn't complaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you think Stiles is going to react to this night, hm?


End file.
